For the second straight week on back-to-back Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the Oregon football team has suffered a departure or defection from the program.

Last week, four-star recruits Jared Casey and Jeremiah Criddell announced their de-commitments from the Ducks’ 2019 recruiting class, ultimately dropping Oregon’s class from fourth to seventh in 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings.

This week, the departures have a distinct family feel, as redshirt sophomore Jacob Capra announced his intention to transfer from the program on Tuesday which preceded Wednesday’s announcement from younger brother Joey – a three-star offensive lineman – that he would be de-committing from the program in order to seek out other options. Following Joey’s de-commitment, the Ducks now possess the nation’s eighth-best recruiting class per 247Sports.

Below, WFOD breaks down what the loss of the Capra brothers means for the Oregon offensive line moving forward.

The glass half-empty outlook

The biggest sticking point for Duck fans in the aftermath of these double-barreled departures is the fact that, not only is Oregon losing their third verbal commitment from the 2019 class in the span of about eight days in Joey, but they also lose a key member of their current offensive line rotation in Jacob.

Even though Alabama grad transfer Dallas Warmack beat out Jacob Capra for the starting right guard position during fall camp, Capra was essentially considered a co-starter by head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal. Having appeared in nine games this season, Capra had slowly but surely been commanding his fair share of snaps over the second half of the season with Warmack often in and out of the lineup due to nagging injuries. He was also the lineman who helped open the hole for CJ Verdell’s six-yard touchdown scamper that sealed Oregon’s 30-27 overtime victory over then no. 7-ranked Washington in October. In short, he was an experienced and reliable member of an offensive line unit that has been particularly impacted by injuries this season.

In Joey, the Ducks had a skilled interior lineman with the versatility to play either guard or center at the next level. Though not highly-rated, the former Arizona State commit provided added depth and flexibility among Oregon’s 2019 offensive line class, which now only consists of four-star JUCO transfer Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and four-star Jonah Tauanu’u.

The glass half-full outlook

As much as it hurts to lose a key member of your offensive line rotation to transfer, the Ducks are uniquely equipped to absorb the loss of a player of Jacob’s stature. For one, Warmack has proven to be a steadying force at right guard for Oregon all season. Though there was some intrigue surrounding who would win the starting right guard position prior to the start of the season, Warmack more or less put that speculation to rest during fall camp and the first half of the year.

Secondly, with no senior offensive linemen on the roster to speak of, this unit is ultra deep with a number of well-qualified reserves waiting in the wings to take advantage of Capra’s departure. The one player to keep an eye on in the bowl game and moving forward is redshirt freshman Alex Forsyth, who has the versatility to play virtually any of the positions along the offensive line and has been regarded as an up-and-comer among Oregon’s o-line reserves. He figures to be the biggest beneficiary of increased playing time, though with the healthy return of standout freshmen Penei Sewell (ankle) and Steven Jones (concussion), the Ducks have an array options at their disposal in terms of mixing and matching their offensive line rotation.

In terms of Joey’s de-commitment, while frustrating to fans who are tired of reading news of yet another Oregon recruit backing away from his pledge, it shouldn’t be viewed as a crippling loss. Of the three offensive lineman the Ducks had committed to the 2019 class, the younger Capra was the lowest-rated of the group. In fact, prior to his de-commitment, Joey Capra was Oregon’s lowest-rated overall recruit in the 2019 class per 247Sports. With highly-touted prospects like Aumavae-Laulu and Tauanu’u already in the fold, and a handful of available prospects still at their disposal, the loss of Joey appears to be one the Ducks can afford.

Who are Oregon’s remaining options along the offensive line?

We touched on Oregon’s current offensive line depth in the previous section, but in terms of who the Ducks may shift their focus to following Joey’s de-commitment, there are two names that stand out in particular. The first is Logan Sagapolu, the most prominent name of the known remaining options along the offensive line for Oregon. A three-star prospect from Lehi (Utah) Skyridge, Sagapolu would likely slot in at center or guard (similar to Joey) should he commit to Oregon. At 6-foot-3 and 340 pounds, Sagapolu certainly fits the beefy mold Cristobal and Mirabal have earnestly instilled for the Ducks up front, though he likely wouldn’t arrive on campus until 2021 after he completes a two-year Mormon mission.

Speaking of beefy molds, the other option that has emerged in the recent days is three-star Dawand Jones from Indianapolis (Ind.) Ben Davis. Standing a mammoth 6-foot-8 and 360 pounds, Jones rivals the measurements of some of Oregon’s biggest offensive linemen from the 2018 recruiting class and is a player who would likely figure into the mix at one of the tackle positions – particularly given his hoops background – should he commit to Oregon. For now, however, it appears USC may be the team to be for the fast-rising senior.