It wasn’t that long ago that the Ducks were sitting pretty as it relates to how their 2019 recruiting class was shaping up in the defensive backfield.

As the calendar turned to June, Oregon laid claim to verbal commitments from four highly-touted defensive back prospects; a group that included three-stars Marques Caldwell and Cameron Williams, along with four-stars Jeremiah Criddell and Mykael Wright.

However, as days began to tick off the calendar, so did the names of two recruits who had been part of what was becoming an impressive collection of future talent in the Oregon secondary.

The first departure came from Williams, who de-committed from Oregon on June 10 in order to open himself up to other potential options after pledging to the Ducks on April 21; a day that coincided with the Oregon spring game and the Ducks’ largest recruiting weekend to date under first-year head coach Mario Cristobal. Williams, however, still contends that he’s considering Oregon, alongside emerging players like USC and Washington.

The second came from Caldwell, a cornerback from Alvin, Texas, who originally gave his verbal commitment to former head coach Willie Taggart and the Ducks on October 21 of last year. After just over eight months as an Oregon commit, Caldwell de-committed from the Ducks on June 27, presumably to remain closer to home after childhood favorite Texas extended him an offer in May.

With Criddell and Wright now left as the two defensive backs remaining in the Ducks’ 2019 recruiting class, the Oregon coaching staff has roughly six to eight months to address these losses. The good news is, that’s plenty of time for co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Keith Heyward and cornerbacks coach Donte Williams – two coaches widely-regarded as two of the West Coast’s, if not the nation’s, best recruiters – to identify and successfully land replacements.

The bad news? They’ll have their work cut out for them, as secondary help – particularly at corner – currently stands as perhaps the team’s most glaring need in terms of depth looking ahead.

Below we take a closer look at the top realistic remaining options at this moment for the Ducks, who could take a total of four to six defensive backs in the 2019 class depending on scholarship availability.

*All ratings based on 247Sports’ Composite Rankings*

(4*) Chris Steele – Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco

Despite having already made two unofficial visits to Eugene since the beginning of the year, it’s appearing more and more likely that the versatile 6-foot-2, 181-pound prospect will be going somewhere other than Oregon. Steele has already taken his five allotted official visits to Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, South Carolina, and USC – the last school to receive a visit from Steele and the program most in the industry expect to land the highly-coveted prospect when he announces his decision on July 7. Steele’s strong relationship with the Oregon coaching staff gives the Ducks a glimmer of hope in the months that will follow his July 7 decision date, but expect it to be knock-down, drag-out fight for his signature all the way until signing day.

(4*) Max Williams – Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra

Don’t let his pint-sized 5-foot-8, 164-pound frame fool you. Williams is a fierce competitor who plays well above his size as a ball-hawking, play-making corner. Though he looks to be a player best-suited as a nickel corner at the collegiate level, Williams has plenty of ability to contend with bigger receivers on the outside. To date, Williams has already taken official visits to Notre Dame and Louisville, and he’ll likely take official visits to both Oregon and USC – his other two reported finalists. Though the Trojans hold 100 percent of 247Sports’ Crystal Ball predictions (7 predictions total), the Ducks are positioned to be a major player in his recruitment, thanks in part to the close relationship he’s formed with Heyward and Williams.

(4*) Trent McDuffie – Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco

The Braves of St. John Bosco may have two of the nation’s top cornerback tandems in Chris Steele and Trent McDuffie. Though not as a big as Steele, McDuffie is every bit as physical and has arguably better athleticism and versatility, as he has proven to be a standout on offense, defense, and special teams throughout his high school career. The Ducks, however, prefer him at corner, and are arguably the team pushing hardest for his commitment alongside Washington, UCLA, Stanford, and USC. Like Williams, USC currently has 100 percent of the Crystal Ball predictions for McDuffie (3 total), but with plans to officially visit Oregon later in the year, the Ducks are firmly in the mix for his commitment.

(4*) Elijah Blades – Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western College

Originally ranked as the nation’s 15th-ranked corner in the 2017 recruiting class, Blades initially committed to Nebraska after forming a close bond with Donte Williams, who served as the cornerbacks coach in Lincoln at the time. However, shortly after pledging his commitment to the Cornhuskers, Blades made the decision to attend Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona after it was determined he would have to sit out his first year on campus due to academics. Now after two years at the JUCO level, Blades has solidified himself as one the nation’s best junior college prospects, and Oregon has positioned themselves as a favorite (along with Tennessee) to land the 6-foot-2 corner thanks to Williams’ position on the Ducks’ staff.

(4*) Darien Chase – Vancouver (Wash.) Union

Is he a corner? Is he a safety? Is he a wide receiver? Regardless what position he is, we know for a fact that Darien Chase is highly coveted. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete is one of the Northwest’s best, and the Ducks seem to prefer him on the defensive side of the ball. Having already taken an unofficial visit to Eugene earlier this spring, Oregon sits as a primary contender for his commitment. However, an offer at the end of March from the home state Huskies has given Chase quite a bit to think about, and perhaps has even moved Washington to No. 1 on his list. Currently scheduled to announce his commitment on August 20, the Ducks would feel much better about their chances should they be able to get him down for another visit before the decision date.

(4*) Noa Pola-Gates – Gilbert (Ariz.) Williams Field

Along with McDuffie and Chase, Pola-Gates is among the most versatile prospects the Ducks are targeting in the defensive backfield this cycle. A two-way high school standout from the Phoenix metro area, Pola-Gates is viewed primarily as a safety prospect by the Oregon coaching staff. Standing 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he’s a physical defender who is equally adept coming downhill into the box to make plays as he is showing off his tremendous range and athletic ability defending the pass. Pola-Gates’ uncle, Leie Sualua, is a former Oregon player, however that hasn’t given the Ducks as much of an advantage in his recruitment as one might think. Despite having already unofficially visited Eugene, 247Sports’ Crystal Ball predictions have Alabama as the resounding favorite to land his commitment (100 percent). Along with Ducks and Crimson Tide, USC, Arizona State, and Penn State are each vying for his commitment, as well.

(4*) Trikweze Bridges – Lanett (Ala.)

Perhaps the most intriguing prospect of the current group of recruits the Ducks are closely evaluating in the secondary is Trikweze Bridges. At 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, the lanky safety prospect demonstrates a nose for the football and shows a propensity for being a turnover machine patrolling the last line of a defense. It’s not often that the Ducks find themselves in thick of it for a highly touted recruit from the Yellowhammer State, but Oregon has made a strong impression on his recruitment to this point. The Ducks will have their hands full battling programs such as LSU and Florida State who have a proximity advantage, but it’s worth mentioning that Oregon does have one of the two Crystal Ball predictions that have been made on Bridges’ 247Sports profile. LSU has the other.