Behold! Football season is nigh!

Believe it or not, mere weeks separate us between now and the start of fall camp for the Oregon Ducks. As preseason camp fast approaches, we at WFOD will be rolling out a series of previews to help fully prepare you for the upcoming season.

Thursday marks the continuation of our Fall Camp Questions series, which aims to address the most pressing questions surrounding each position group in the build up to the 2018 campaign.

Today’s question…

How dire is Oregon’s depth at defensive line?

It wasn’t that long ago that Ducks defensive line situation was an abject disaster.

In the aftermath of DeForest Buckner’s graduation following the 2015 season, the proceeding unit was not only devoid of a star player, but the group as a whole severely lacked overall quality and depth, which had much to do with Oregon’s woeful defensive performance throughout the 2016 campaign.

Wholesale changes from the top-down were made immediately following that season, and with the hire of new head coach Willie Taggart, the Ducks received a much needed infusion of coaching acumen that came in the form of defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a. From there, it only took an offseason for the Oregon defense to perform a dramatic about-face that transformed it from one of the worst defenses in the country in 2016, to one of the nation’s most improved in 2017.

Aside from the coaches, the central figures behind Oregon’s radical defensive transformation came from the same defensive line that was pilloried the season before. Henry Mondeaux emerged as a reliable veteran cornerstone for the unit, while Jalen Jelks enjoyed a breakout junior campaign that was underscored by his inclusion on a host of postseason All-Pac-12 Conference teams. Additionally, the Ducks received a tremendous boost from two true freshmen along the defensive line, as Jordon Scott was recognized as a freshman All-American, while Austin Faoliu played the eighth-most snaps among FBS freshmen defensive linemen a year ago.

Jelks, Scott, and Faoliu all return to help anchor the Oregon defensive line in 2018, as does redshirt junior Gary Baker, who reportedly took his game to another level this spring and has positioned himself for a potential starting role next to Jelks and Scott. Beyond that, however, the Ducks have little in the way of reinforcements – or at least ones that are proven.

As bad as Oregon’s depth was at defensive line in 2016, it can be argued that the outlook for the team’s second unit in 2018 is just as gloomy. Exacerbating the situation is the likely scenario that both Malik Young and D.J. Johnson will not be eligible for the upcoming season.

Young, who was a late addition to the team from the junior college ranks last August, is petitioning the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility, though it’s believed to be unlikely that he’ll be successful in those efforts. In the case of Johnson – who originally committed to Miami (Fla.) as the nation’s sixth-best weakside defensive end in the Class of 2017 before deciding to transfer to Oregon this past January – it is considered unlikely that he’ll get an NCAA hardship waiver approved that would otherwise overturn the mandate that non-graduate transfers must sit out a season before being eligible to play.

With both players’ chances to see the field this season appearing bleak, the onus falls to an even smaller group of reserves with little no experience of their own. Of this group, redshirt juniors Drayton Carlberg and Gus Cumberlander are the players most likely to see action early in the season after having appeared in a combined 31 games during their careers at Oregon. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Popo Aumavae, true freshman Andrew Faoliu (younger brother of Austin), and JUCO transfer Sione Vea Kava will all be seeing their first action as Ducks the next time they take the field in a game situation.

WFOD’s Prediction:

The Ducks’ depth situation along the defensive line is indeed dire. In fact, next to Oregon’s paper thin depth at cornerback, it may be the position group that is in the worst shape as the season draws near. If the Ducks are to make their ascent towards the top of the conference this season, it will be imperative that they remain healthy in the defensive trenches. An injury or two to a key player(s) here could very well destabilize the entire defense, which would in turn dramatically change the trajectory of the season not unlike the injury to Justin Herbert last year. Jelks, Scott, the elder Faoliu, and Baker have more or less proven themselves as guys you can count on, but it will be necessary for at least two players from the group of Carlberg, Cumberlander, Aumavae, Vea Kava, and the younger Faoliu to emerge as reliable forces during preseason camp in August. Bank on Carlberg and Cumberlander to be those players, but do so with many, many grains of salt.

Fall Camp Questions: Part I – Who backs up Justin Herbert?
Fall Camp Questions: Part II – Is Tony Brooks-James equipped to be Oregon’s lead back?
Fall Camp Questions: Part III – Will consistent difference-makers emerge at receiver?
Fall Camp Questions: Part IV – Is Jacob Breeland an All-Pac-12 level tight end?
Fall Camp Questions: Part V – Which O-line newcomer will make the biggest impact in 2018?