As if there weren’t already enough salt in the wound, Oregon’s injury-plagued August got worse Monday as Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal announced that reserve linebacker Adrian Jackson would miss the entirety of the 2019 season after suffering a foot injury in practice in the build up to the season opener vs. Auburn.

The 6-foot-2, 232-pound sophomore from Denver is eligible to utilize his redshirt after appearing in 12 games as a true freshman in 2018.

As a true freshman, Jackson quickly impressed both teammates and coaches with his chiseled physique and tremendous athletic ability, which only modestly translated to 13 tackles (including one for loss) a year ago. However, with a full offseason in the program under his belt, Jackson was widely expected to have an increased role on defense as La’Mar Winston’s primary backup at SAM linebacker, possessing the versatility to fill in just about anywhere in the second level of the Ducks’ defense as well.

That, however, is now no longer on the table, as Jackson joins wide receivers Brenden Schooler (foot), Mycah Pittman (shoulder), and JR Waters (foot) as Ducks who are expected to miss significant time this season due to injuries suffered during fall camp.

With Jackson now sidelined, the Ducks now must determine who will provide immediate depth behind Winston at SAM.

As of now, true freshman Mase Funa seems most likely to step in for Jackson, as was the first player off the bench to spell Winston when he needed a breather vs. Auburn. Funa has been lauded by coaches for his performance throughout the summer and had a nice showing in his debut on Saturday, making a key tackle for loss.

Redshirt junior Brady Breeze is another name to keep an eye on at this position, as well. Though the Lake Oswego native is currently locked in a tight battle for the starting job at safety with fellow junior Nick Pickett, Breeze picked up reps at outside linebacker late last season after injuries began to take their toll on Oregon’s linebackers.