It wasn’t that deep into the 2017 season before Oregon’s depth at inside linebacker was severely tested.

With depth at the position already a concern for the Ducks before the season even began, injuries to A.J. Hotchkins and Kaulana Apelu (plus Keith Simms, who was already set to miss all of 2017 with a knee injury) during the early portion of the season had the Ducks looking to senior Jimmie Swain and sophomore walk-on Blake Rugraff to hold down the fort next to Troy Dye in the middle of Oregon defense.

Depth was then tested even further after Rugraff suffered an injury his own in Oregon’s 33-10 loss versus Washington State, forcing the Ducks to turn to true freshman Sampson Niu; a player originally designated for redshirt who would go on to see action in five of the team’s next seven games.

Though Niu’s contributions as a freshman were largely non-descript, finishing the season with eight total tackles, he did appear to be a player on the cusp of turning a corner. This was evidenced by some impressive early flashes in Oregon’s Las Vegas Bowl loss to Boise State before Niu suffered an injury that would ultimately keep him sidelined for the entire spring.

Saddled with the injury, the hiccup in Niu’s development opened the door for Isaac Slade-Matautia – the other linebacker in the Ducks’ 2017 recruiting class – to prove his mettle this spring, along with Apelu, who before his own injury, laid claim to the starting linebacker position next to Dye.

Expected to be completely healthy by the start of fall camp, the question now is whether Niu can make up ground on guys like Slade-Matautia, Apelu, and Simms by the time the season begins.

In many ways, this a welcomed conundrum for Oregon defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, who should have no shortage of quality options to choose from before the season kicks off September 1 versus Bowling Green.

Though undersized, Apelu has more than held his own in situations where he’s been called upon. A former walk-on, Apelu has tallied 52 tackles, four tackles for loss, and one interception in 27 career games, and will likely be at the very least regular in the rotation this upcoming season. Slade-Matautia and Simms are players with little to no experience, though both enjoyed breakout performances this spring which will have them competing tooth and nail for starters reps alongside Dye this fall.

Of course, this doesn’t even account for arrival of true freshmen Adrian Jackson, Andrew Johnson, and MJ Cunningham, who will undoubtedly present their own challenges when it comes to carving out consistent playing time.

The second year in Leavitt’s defensive system should provide an even greater comfort level and sense of continuity for the group as a whole. However, as it concerns Niu and his chances to wrestle away playing time from those who have taken advantage of his absence, the circumstances could very well prove that the San Diego native has a rugged uphill battle ahead of him.