The outcome of any given college football season can rest on a variety of factors, but perhaps the most important factor relating to team success during the course of a season is depth and the general availability of top talent.

Injuries are an unfortunate reality for every program, and every fan base has a story or twelve about what could have been if not for an injury to Player X. Oregon fans are certainly no strangers to this painful truth, as Dennis Dixon’s torn ACL in 2007, Vernon Adams’ broken finger in 2015, and Justin Herbert’s broken collarbone in 2017, are just a few recent top of mind examples that offer a reminder of just how razor-thin the margin can be between a great season and one that leaves fans wondering, “What if?”

As we prepare for the (hopeful) start of the 2020 college football season amidst a global pandemic, WFOD takes a closer look at the players – both on offense and defense – who are most critical in ensuring a successful season on the field for the Ducks. Today, this short series concludes with a look at the defensive side of the ball.

3. Isaac Slade-Matautia

Somehow, lost in the offseason clamor surrounding the marquee names, returning veterans, and a recruiting class headlined by a trio of five-star prospects on defense is redshirt junior linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia.

Virtually any other year, Slade-Matautia’s name would be more quickly referenced when discussing the returning talent on the defensive side of the ball for Oregon. This is especially true when you consider the fact that the Honolulu native enters his fourth year with the program as the team’s most experienced and productive veteran leader at linebacker; a position group that will have no shortage of attention this year given the incredible collection of young stars (see Mase Funa, Justin Flowe, and Noah Sewell) within its ranks.

Perhaps that’s all the explanation that’s needed when pondering why Slade-Matautia feels like the forgotten man on Oregon’s defense entering 2020, yet it still feels like a slight to a player who emerged as a veritable linchpin next to Troy Dye on arguably the best defense in school history in 2019.

With Dye now representing the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL, Slade-Matautia’s role and impact figures to expand even more. Though he’ll never be as vocal as the departed Dye, Slade-Matautia effectively serves as the on-field central nervous system for defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, as his knowledge and understanding of the Ducks’ defensive scheme makes him invaluable in comparison to just about any other player on the defensive side of the ball. Without him, the Duck defense would be missing a critical voice, organizer, and player who leads best by example.

2. Jevon Holland

Generally speaking, every recruiting class seems to produce a player or two who is capable of coming in and challenging immediately for significant playing time the moment they step foot on campus. Jevon Holland was precisely that player when he arrived on the campus of the University of Oregon just before the fall of 2018. Since then, Holland’s profile has only grown, and rapidly at that. The Bay Area native has effectively built himself into a respected leader with a powerful voice, both on and off the field, and is a projected first round draft pick in next year’s NFL draft.

As it relates to Holland’s on-field exploits, there is one word above all others that best describes the junior defensive back: versatility. Defensively, whether he’s lined up as a nickel corner or safety, Holland has few equals as a playmaking force. As a true freshman, Holland led the Ducks and finished second in the Pac-12 in interceptions (5). Last season, as a sophomore, Holland repeated as the team’s leading interceptor (4), while also tying for the Pac-12 lead in the same category, becoming the first Duck to lead the team interceptions in back-to-back years since Jairus Byrd in 2006 and 2007.

If that weren’t enough, Holland has also established himself as a reliable physical presence in the back end of Oregon’s defense, finishing ninth on the team in total tackles as a freshman (44). He enters 2020 as the Ducks’ top returning tackler after notching 66 a season ago. Moreover, Holland is a game-changing weapon as a punt returner, as he wasted no time announcing himself on a big stage with 131 return yards (including this 81-yard punt return) in last year’s season opener vs. Auburn.

Simply put, there are few, if any, players on the Oregon roster at this time who are as capable and multi-faceted as Holland. Without a player of his caliber patrolling the secondary, the Ducks would be down arguably their most impactful all-around player.

1. Kayvon Thibodeaux

If Jevon Holland isn’t the call here, then there’s no question that the deserving party is sophomore defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. Though both players garnered heavy consideration for the number one spot on the defensive side of the ball in this exercise, the nod ultimately went to the Ducks’ star pass-rusher.

Ranked as the nation’s no. 2 overall recruit and the highest-rated prospect in program history, Thibodeaux’s debut season as a Duck slowly built steam before the south central L.A. native came on like an absolute house of fire over the final half of the season. In the end, Thibodeaux’s freshman campaign saw him tally a program freshman record for sacks (9.0) while also leading the team in tackles for loss (14.0). In fact, Thibodeaux led the nation with seven sacks in the fourth quarter of games last season and set a Pac-12 Championship game record with 2.5 sacks vs. Utah. This en route to earning recognition from the Pac-12 coaches as the conference’s Defensive Freshman of the Year, in addition to being named a Freshman All-American by multiple publications.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Thibodeaux is a little on the light side in comparison to some of the other down defensive lineman on the Oregon roster, but his lightning quick first step, ability to generate impressive power, and uncanny knack for dipping and bending around opposing offensive tackles makes him an utterly irreplaceable player a la Penei Sewell, both in the context of this team and on the national stage.

A projected top five pick when he becomes eligible following the 2021 season, Thibodeaux is the kind of singular pass rushing force that can overwhelmingly impact an opponent’s preparation and execution both on game day and in the days leading up to kickoff. More so than any other player on the Ducks’ roster, Thibodeaux’s immensely valuable skill set is beyond replication.

The most indispensable players on offense for Oregon

Top Photo: Oregon DL Kayvon Thibodeaux (Photo: Kevin Cline/FishDuck.com)