Occupying a very small corner within one of the wildest years in modern human history has been a college football offseason and now season that has appropriately reflected our current day and age. The twists and turns have been numerous and well documented over the past several months, as COVID-19 continues to hang like an anvil over the viability of a 2020 college football season. In addition to that, college football’s player empowerment movement and the multiple opt-outs from high profile players across the country (including a handful who were on the Oregon roster) has also contributed in shaking the foundation of a decades-old American institution.
The extent to which these factors will change the previously accepted landscape of college football is unknown. What is known, however, is that after previously postponing the 2020 football season, the Pac-12 has decided to change course and proceed with an abbreviated conference schedule, joining the vast majority of the FBS on the gridiron this fall.
With October 9 set as the official start date of fall camp for the Ducks, WFOD is here to help preview and bring you up to speed on the upcoming season by providing its position-by-position breakdown of the Oregon roster. The series continues Monday, as we take an in-depth look at the defensive line.
As always, you can find the most up-to-date look at the Oregon depth chart by visiting our Living Depth Chart page.
The Headliner
It’s an impressive thing when your defensive line returns two three-year starters who flirted with the idea of going pro and neither one is able to stake a legitimate claim to being the “headliner” of the group going into the season. Then again, not many programs in college football have a player the likes of sophomore Kayvon Thibodeaux, who’s mere presence overshadows the accomplishments of his teammates along the defensive line.
Considered the no. 2 overall player in the country during the 2019 recruiting cycle per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Thibodeaux has lived up to every bit of his five-star billing. As a true freshman in 2019, Thibodeaux led the Ducks in both sacks (9.0) and tackles for loss (14.0) en route to earning a litany of Freshman All-American and All-Pac-12 honors, including Pac-12 Freshman of the Year recognition by the league’s coaches. In fact, few players in the conference were as singularly dominant as Thibodeaux was over the final half of the regular season, as the South Central L.A. native notched six and a half of his nine sacks over the final six games of the year, highlighted by his two and a half sack effort vs. Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Thibodeaux’s frame, lightning quick first step, and ability to convert speed to power is what makes him one of the nation’s elite pass rushers and overall defensive players. Entering a season in which there is little that you can hang your hat on, the Ducks should feel at ease knowing they can put their faith in a fearsome defense that is led by a player of Thibodeaux’s caliber.
The Supporting Ensemble
As mentioned, it’s an odd thing to have two players who could be on NFL rosters this fall returning to your defensive line and be relegated to “supporting cast” status, but these are odd times we’re living in. Nevertheless, while seniors Austin Faoliu and Jordon Scott may not carry the star power of their running mate along the defensive line, both players serve as experienced linchpins for the Oregon defense up front. Having served as defensive starters for each of the past three seasons, Faoliu and Scott may not stuff the stat sheet, but both are responsible for changing the conversation surrounding the Oregon defense, which has been traditionally known for its bend-but-don’t-break nature. Their leadership and rugged on-field personas are invaluable to that side of the ball.
Providing critical depth behind Faoliu and Scott are sophomore Brandon Dorlus and redshirt junior Popo Aumavae. Though neither player earned a start last season, both displayed plenty of hope for the future in the limited action they received. As a true freshman last season, Dorlus provided high quality play for the Ducks in the defensive trenches, proving stout against the run and an ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage evidenced by two tackles for loss (including a sack) in the nine games he appeared in. That production in a reserve role was only outdone by Aumavae, who produced a breakthrough season as a sophomore, finishing third on the team in sacks (3.5) and sixth in tackles for loss (5.0) in 13 games. With that, expect both players to earn even more playing time in 2020.
Looking to push their way onto the field this fall after seeing minimal action a season ago are redshirt freshmen Keyon Ware-Hudson, Kristian Williams, Isaac Townsend, Sua’ava Poti. Of the foursome, only Ware-Hudson and Williams appeared in more than one game last year, though both players earned rave reviews from their coaches and fellow teammates for their performances in practice. Should they become established members of the rotation this fall, defensive line may very well be the deepest position group of any on the Oregon roster.
The Intriguing New Cast Member
Even with all of the depth that already resides along the defensive line, head coach Mario Cristobal and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a didn’t balk at the chance to add even more depth up front during the 2020 recruiting cycle. And while it’s difficult to see any of the incoming freshmen along the defensive line making a notable impact along the defensive line this season, 6-foot-7, 340-pound Jayson Jones from Calera (Ala.) is one player to keep tabs on as preseason camp gets underway later this week.
A four-star prospect and former Alabama verbal commit, Jones was the final addition to the Ducks’ 2020 recruiting class back in February. His gargantuan size is obviously something to behold, but it’s the way he combines that mass with terrific athleticism for a player of his size that gets people excited. Slowed by injury towards the end of his high school career, Jones has done well to reshape his body over the last several months and has looked explosive in videos he’s shared on social media.
Jaylen Smith and Maceal Afaese joined Jones as summer arrivals, while Jake Shipley and Bradyn Swinson were on hand with the team in the spring prior to the shutdown.
The Stirring Subplot
Is this the deepest Duck defensive line ever?
It’s hard to argue that it’s not. In fact, if not for COVID-19 and the opt-outs from Deommodore Lenoir, Thomas Graham, and Jevon Holland, this might have been Oregon’s deepest and most stacked defense in school history. Alas, we live in the era of COVID-19 and if 2020 has proven anything, it’s that we can’t have nice things.
As it relates to the defensive line, Cristobal and Salave’a have made it a point of emphasis on the recruiting trail in recent cycles to line the defensive trenches with serious size, strength, and explosiveness. And the fruits of their labor have paid off tremendously, as Oregon’s defensive line has radically morphed into one of the strongest overall position groups in the Pac-12. Spearheaded by a truly elite pass rushing presence in Thibodeaux, the experience of Faoliu, Scott, and Aumavae, and the potential of Dorlus, Ware-Hudson, and Williams, anything less than having the top defense in the Pac-12 should be considered a disappointment for defensive coordinator Andy Avalos and this group.
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Quarterbacks
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Running Backs
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Wide Receivers
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Tight Ends
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Offensive Line
Top Photo: Oregon DL Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon Athletics)