The Oregon Ducks are ramping up for their first appearance in the Big Ten Conference, with a new look quarterback room and a new headliner at wide receiver . Along with changes to the offense, now having to go against some of the best offenses in the country, the Ducks will have plenty of questions to answer on the defensive side of the ball. Fortunately, head coach Dan Lanning was busy in the transfer portal this offseason to round out his roster.
Oregon will look to replace key defenders that left for the NFL
Oregon's two leading pass rushers last year were defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus and cornerback Evan Williams, both of whom are now in the NFL. Dorlus and Evans were both selected in the fourth round, with Dorlus going to the Atlanta Falcons and Evans going to the Green Bay Packers. Both guys had great pre-draft processes, highlighted by showing out at the Senior Bowl down in Mobile.
Now without those two, Oregon will need to see increased production from their defensive line, which they'll get from returning edge rushers Jordan Burch and Matayo Uiagalele i, and on the interior in transfer portal addition defensive tackles Jamaree Caldwell and Derrick Harmon.
Linebacker play will continue to be a strength of the Oregon defense
The defensive line is athletic, but questions persist about their production. At the linebacker level, Oregon returns their captain and field general Jeffrey Bassa.
In an interview with Bri Amaranthus from Oregon Ducks on SI, wide receiver Tez Johnson had glowing comments about Bassa.
“Jeffrey Bassa, the best communicator I've ever seen in my life,” Johnson told Amaranthus. “He's the captain of the defense, so he makes every call and ensures everyone's lined up. He's always checking.”
Bassa enters his senior season as a cornerstone on defense. He was second on the team behind Evans in total tackles with 72, and is the engine that drives the defense with his energy and communication. With many newcomers on that side of the ball, it will be Bassa that ensures the communication and continuity on defense is locked in.
The Ducks secondary is highlighted by a transfer portal stud
After losing Evans to the NFL, bringing in a star defensive back was high on the priority list for Dan Lanning and the Ducks. They knocked it out of the park in bringing in Jabbar Muhammad from the rival Washington Huskies.
Oregon was obviously familiar with Muhammad from their matchups last season. Muhammad made things difficult for their best wide receiver last year, Troy Franklin.
Muhammad is on the Jim Thorpe watch list prior to the season starting as a contender for the best cornerback in the country. His quick hips and fast trigger will go a long way to slowing down opposing wide receivers for the Ducks in 2024.
Related: Top Vols Reporter bashes Oregon Ducks for "buying a class" via NIL coming off a huge flip in recruiting
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on X @JonHelmkamp , as well as follow our main page @AtoZSportsNFL for all the latest news.
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