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.

Friday 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…

Who starts inside next to Troy Dye?

Of all the position groups we have featured to this point, the one that has experienced perhaps the most impressive reversal over the past couple of seasons is linebacker.

Not unlike Oregon’s defensive line situation in 2016, the Ducks were a complete mess at the second level that season. As a whole, the unit was barren with proven talent, as the head and shoulders best player of the group was Troy Dye – a true freshman at the time.

However, with the purging of Mark Helfrich and his rapidly aging coaching staff, came the promise of better days following the home run hire of Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt by then head coach Willie Taggart. From the jump, the difference between Brady Hoke’s defense in 2016, and what took the field under Leavitt’s guidance in 2017 was something truly beyond compare.

Not only did the defense experience a wholesale statistical turnaround in the span of a year, but Leavitt seemed to revitalize dormant talent that had otherwise been wasting away on the roster. Building around Dye’s sublime abilities, Leavitt’s influence seemingly brought the best out of Justin Hollins and La’Mar Winston; two players who enjoyed breakout junior and sophomore years, respectively, combining for five and a half sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, and over 100 total tackles in 2017.

With Dye and Winston each returning in 2018 to solidify the outside linebacker positions, they, along with Dye, form an exciting core from which the Oregon defense can continue prospering from. The question entering the season, however, is who mans the other inside linebacker position next to Dye?

Like offensive line, the Ducks are especially endowed with great overall depth, particularly at the inside position. Before suffering a season-ending ankle injury vs. Cal last September, senior Kaulana Apelu – a former walk-on – was the one teaming up with Dye on the inside. Though undersized, Apelu is a pest and routinely finds himself in the middle of the action whenever he’s on the field. However, his chances of reclaiming that starting role aren’t necessarily promising thanks to the presence of redshirt freshman Isaac Slade-Matautia, and redshirt sophomore Keith Simms.

Even though he failed to see the field his first year on campus, Slade-Matautia did not let the lack of game action impede his developmental process. Instead, the Honolulu native took advantage of his opportunities in practice last fall and applied his mental and physical gains to the field this past spring where he earned no shortage of praise from Cristobal and Leavitt. He will be joined in the competition by Simms, who missed all of 2017 nursing a knee injury, but who similarly enjoyed a breakout spring. His toughness, versatility, and reputation as a devastating hitter could have him positioned for playing time at any one of the linebacker spots.

They will be joined in the competition this fall by sophomore Sampson Niu, who burned his redshirt midway through last season after the Ducks experienced a rash of injuries at inside ‘backer. While he was largely a non-factor in his first season of action, Niu did show signs of coming into his own in Oregon’s Las Vegas Bowl loss to Boise State before leaving the game due to injury. Niu was also sidelined this spring due to injury, and will begin fall camp in a precarious position on the depth chart as he looks to make up the ground he surrendered to Apelu, Slade-Matautia, and Simms.

WFOD’s Prediction:

It’s going to be fascinating to watch the battle for the open inside linebacker position unfold this fall. Like the competition at running back, it’s quite possible that an established starter won’t be determined until later in the year. As it stands right now, the momentum surrounding Slade-Matautia’s bid for the starting spot next to Dye feels like it will be a lot for any competitor to overcome. Simms has made a strong case for the job as well, but his versatility is such that it seems more likely that he’ll be the unit’s top reserve in event of fatigue or injury. Apelu’s experience and toughness can’t be discounted either, though his less than ideal size and athletic ability compared to some of the other options on the depth chart will likely have him in a reserve role, as well. Niu will be an interesting one to watch, as will the performances of true freshmen Adrian Jackson, Andrew Johnson, and MJ Cunningham, but when it’s all said and done, look for Slade-Matautia to be Dye’s cohort on the interior.

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?
Fall Camp Questions: Part VI – How dire is Oregon’s depth at defensive line?