With the late cycle drama surrounding the signature of four-star wide receiver Puka Nacua now officially put to bed, the time has come to similarly put a bow on Oregon’s 2019 recruiting class – an epic recruiting haul that saw the Ducks finish in the top 10 of the national recruiting rankings for the first time in school history.

In total, the Ducks’ 26-man class, ranked no. 7 nationally per 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings, included the program’s first five-star prospect since 2015 and a total of five top 100 prospects, the most since 2011 when Oregon signed four. The recruiting game has indeed changed under Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, as he and his coaching staff now turn their focus to the Class of 2020 and beyond.

Before we do the same, WFOD takes a look back at the 2019 class that was for the Ducks, offering up our final thoughts (and a few superlatives) on the signees on the defensive side of the ball.

Defensive Line

The Signees:

(4*) Keyon Ware-Hudson – 6’2″, 305 lbs. – Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
(3*) Sua’ava Poti – 6’3″, 285 lbs. – Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco
(5*) Kayvon Thibodeaux – 6’5″, 239 lbs. – Thousand Oaks (Calif.) Oaks Christian
(3*) Brandon Dorlus – 6’2″, 270 lbs. – Deerfield Beach (Fla.)
(3*) Kristian Williams – 6’3″, 297 lbs. – Memphis (Tenn.) Southwind

The Grade: A

The Takeaway:

It’s hard to find too much to nitpick when you consider what the Ducks did in addressing their needs along the defensive line in 2019. Though Oregon returns nine defensive linemen who saw game action last season, headlined by Jordon Scott, Austin Faoliu, and Gary Baker, a host of quality reinforcements are on their way as the Ducks expect to lose at least five of those returning players come the end of the upcoming season.

Spearheading the group – if not the entire class – is five-star prospect Kayvon Thibodeaux, who comes to Eugene as the highest-rated recruit in program history. Ranked as the nation’s no. 2 overall prospect in the 2019 class per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Thibodeaux is a pass rushing extraordinaire who is expected to compete for playing time – if not a starting role – right away despite the experience Oregon returns in the defensive trenches. He will arguably be the player generating the most buzz once spring practices kick off in early March. Ware-Hudson and Poti are highly regarded prospects hailing from two of California’s most elite high school programs in Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, respectively. Both players enjoyed impressive senior campaigns after each missed significant time as high school juniors due to injury. Their versatility could have them playing any one of the defensive line positions for Ducks defensive line coach Joe Salave’a. Rounding out the group are a pair of three-star prospects in Brandon Dorlus and Kristian Williams. Though both players come from way outside of Oregon’s typical recruiting footprint, each provides depth and quality long-term upside for this unit.

Linebacker

The Signees:

(4*) Mase Funa – 6’2″, 245 lbs. – Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
(3*) Isaac Townsend – 6’6″, 235 lbs. – Arvada (Colo.) Ralston Valley Senior
(4*) Ge’mon Eaford – 6’1″, 217 lbs. – Deerfield Beach (Fla.)
(3*) Treven Ma’ae – 6’4″, 240 lbs. – Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman
(3*) Dru Mathis – 6’3″, 240 lbs. – Ventura (Calif.) Buena via Moorpark (Calif.) Moorpark College

The Grade: A

The Takeaway:

It wasn’t that long ago that the linebacker position at Oregon was a major liability for a defense that was, on the whole, woefully underwhelming. The narrative surrounding this group has slowly shifted over time, however, as players like Jalen Jelks, Justin Hollins, and Troy Dye have helped restore confidence in a unit that’s been oft-maligned the past couple decades. Dye returns next season having led the team in tackles in each of his three seasons on campus, and will be joined by a host of other experienced veterans who will be assuming greater roles this upcoming season both on the field and in the locker room.

Supplementing that experience, however, are five newcomers with tantalizing ability who represent the future of Oregon football at the linebacker position. Four-star prospects Mase Funa and Ge’mon Eaford serve as the marquee names in this group, as both players ranked in the top 10 nationally at inside linebacker and outside linebacker, respectively, in the 2019 class. Funa, who will join the team this summer, is coming off a knee injury that claimed his senior season at Mater Dei, though he’s a player who will be more than a year removed from ACL surgery by the time he takes the field for fall camp. Eaford, who enrolled early this winter, is a disruptive, playmaking force who is one of two native Floridians (alongside Dorlus) in the Ducks’ 2019 recruiting class. Competition at the outside linebacker positions will be fierce, but don’t be surprised to see Eaford factor in as a potential special teams contributor early on. Ma’ae and Townsend are two athletic three-star prospects who will likely require some additional time to develop, as both could emerge as defensive ends down the road should their bodies mature as such. Perhaps the best bet for early playing time next season is JUCO transfer Dru Mathis. Mathis took a late official visit to Eugene just prior to the start of the December signing period before ultimately signing with Oregon over strong overtures from Baylor and UCLA. The versatility of Mathis could easily have him factoring into the rotation as either an inside or outside ‘backer this fall.

Defensive Back

The Signees:

(4*) Mykael Wright – 5’11”, 180 lbs. – Lancaster (Calif.) Antelope Valley
(3*) Trikweze Bridges – 6’3″, 175 lbs. – Lanett (Ala.)
(3*) Jamal Hill – 6’1″, 195 lbs. – Morrow (Ga.)
(3*) DJ James – 6’0″, 170 lbs. – Spanish Fort (Ala.)

The Grade: A-

The Takeaway:

The play of the Oregon secondary was a bit roller coaster-y at times last season, as it appeared that cornerbacks Thomas Graham and Deommodore Lenoir were still working out some residual kinks from their freshman years, particularly over the first half of the season. However, Graham and Lenoir, along with the rest of the Oregon secondary, showed marked improvement over the final six games, allowing 230.7 yards per game through the air over that stretch compared to 251 yards per game over the first seven games. It’s worth noting too that the Ducks faced more potent passing offenses at the start of the season compared to the end of the season, but it was encouraging nonetheless to see incremental improvement to close out the year.

The primary culprits to last season’s inconsistent play were relative inexperience and depth. Neither should be an excuse this season, as Ducks are essentially set to return four starters – despite the graduation of team leader Ugo Amadi – in Graham and Lenoir at corner, and Nick Pickett and Jevon Holland at safety. Providing depth from the 2019 class will be a quartet of promising incoming freshmen led by four-star prospect Mykael Wright. Considered arguably the best cornerback prospect out West during the 2019 cycle, Wright retained that title despite not playing a single down his senior season due to high school transfer complications. He’ll team with three-star recruit DJ James to give the Ducks a pair of promising young players that could eventually take over at corner once Graham and Lenoir depart. Formerly a Mississippi State verbal commit, James chose Oregon despite a late push from Alabama on the opening day of the February signing period. At safety, Bridges and Hill each bring something a little different to the table with regard to their respective abilities. In Bridges, the Ducks are getting a rangy, ballhawking centerfielder who set an Alabama state high school record for career interceptions. Hill, on the other hand, is a physically imposing athlete who possesses tremendous size, speed, and hitting ability from his safety position. Both players are solid redshirt candidates, though Hill could prove to be an instant special teams contributor when he arrives this summer.

Special Teams

The Signee:

(3*) K Camden Lewis – 6’0″, 185 lbs. – Cornelius (N.C.) William Amos Hough

The Grade: B-

The Takeaway:

Aside from the questions surrounding Oregon’s wide receivers, the Ducks placekicking situation is probably the biggest area of uncertainty heading into next season. Junior Adam Stack is set to return, but was only 6-for-10 on field goal attempts last season, including 0-for-2 on attempts of 40 yards or more.

Looking to push Stack in the placekicking battle is incoming freshman Camden Lewis; a former verbal commit to Minnesota who pledged to the Ducks just days before the start of the December signing period. Rated as a three-star kicker by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Lewis brings with him a reputation for possessing a strong leg, though he did show some erratic accuracy at the prep level, converting just 13-of-27 field goals attempts during his high school career.

WFOD’s Superlatives for the Class of 2019 (Defense)

Best pro prospect: DL Kayvon Thibodeaux
Most likely to make an immediate impact: DL Kayvon Thibodeaux
Most intriguing: DB Trikweze Bridges
Biggest sleeper: CB DJ James
Most difficult to project: LB Isaac Townsend