It feels almost incomprehensible considering the start of the February signing period was just a few short weeks ago, but ready or not, the unofficial start of the 2019 season is right around the corner.
March 7 marks the beginning of spring football for the Ducks, and similar to last year, the Ducks will have a short break in the middle of spring practices to account for events on the academic calendar, culminating with the annual spring game on April 20.
As we count down the dwindling days leading up to the start of practices, WFOD takes a closer look at the primary storylines unfolding at each position and sets expectations for head coach Mario Cristobal and company as spring arrives.
Today, our Spring Storylines series continues with a look at the defensive line.
How much of a difference will Kayvon Thibodeaux make in year one?
Regardless of how Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s career shakes out as a Duck, December 15, 2018 will long serve as a watershed moment for the Oregon football program under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal.
It was the day that Thibodeaux, in front of a national television audience on ESPN, announced that he would be attending the University of Oregon, giving the Ducks their highest ranked recruit in program history, surpassing legendary Duck names like Haloti Ngata, De’Anthony Thomas, and Jonathan Stewart. It was also a day that demonstrated that the recruiting machine that Cristobal is building in Eugene is not only working, but has the potential to be behemoth on the national scene.
The question now is what kind of impact can fans expect from Thibodeaux in his first year on campus.
Having been one of a handful of recruits from Oregon’s 2019 class to enroll during the winter, Thibodeaux has gotten a head start on his development, though it remains to be seen exactly how that will translate to the field once spring practices kick off.
What is known is that Thibodeaux’s path to considerable playing time this fall won’t be a walk in the park. Along with Thibodeaux, the Ducks also return deep and experienced group of defensive linemen that won’t just roll over for the nation’s no. 2 ranked overall recruit. At defensive end, Thibodeaux is expected to battle proven veterans Austin Faoliu, Drayton Carlberg, Gary Baker, and Gus Cumberlander for playing time – four players who have provided the Ducks with solid production and depth over the past couple seasons.
However, another item to consider is the addition of Andy Avalos as Oregon’s new defensive coordinator, who will hit the ground running this spring as he takes the baton from Jim Leavitt. During his tenure as the defensive coordinator at Boise State the past three seasons, Avalos was known for utilizing the hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker position with great success. In fact, his defenses the past two seasons ranked among the nation’s best at applying pressure and wreaking havoc in opposing backfields, as the Broncos led the Mountain West Conference in sacks the past two seasons (34 in 2017, 39 in 2018), which included a national top 10 ranking in the category last year.
At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds with elite pass rushing skills to boot, Thibodeaux was born to play such a position in Avalos’ defense, thus making the timely convergence of this particular coach and this particular player all the more tantalizing as spring drills draw near.
Spring Storylines: Is Oregon insured at QB beyond Justin Herbert?
Spring Storylines: Is there room in the Oregon backfield for a third RB?
Spring Storylines: Will a leader emerge at WR?
Spring Storylines: Are McCormick and Webb primed to take the next step?
Spring Storylines: Who will be Oregon’s fifth starter along the offensive line?