Traditionally speaking, Eugene, Oregon hasn’t exactly been a hot bed for producing talent along the defensive line.

Sure, there have been exceptions like Haloti Ngata, DeForest Buckner, and Arik Armstead who have passed through campus at the University of Oregon and gone on to have notable – if not exceptional – careers in the NFL. But for the most part, Oregon has been synonymous with speed and sizzle, not necessary strength and a blue-collar mentality, at least when it comes to handling its business in the trenches.

However, with Mario Cristobal leading the Ducks into an era that appears quite different on its face than that which existed spanning from Rich Brooks to Mark Helfrich, that former identity could be in the midst of a stark metamorphosis – particularly along the defensive line.

Entering the 2019 season, Oregon not only welcomes back a deep and veteran-laded foundation that’s represented by reliable old standbys like Jordon Scott, Austin Faoliu, Drayton Carlberg, and Gary Baker, but they also welcome in a potential program changing talent in true freshman defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who arrived in Eugene this past January as the highest-rated recruit in program history.

Yet, while the hopefulness surrounding Thibodeaux will no doubt have him in line for immediate playing time this season, he serves as only a piece – albeit an important one – in the re-imagined framework for what Oregon’s defensive line could be moving forward. Joining Thibodeaux from Oregon’s 2019 recruiting class upfront is a quartet of recruits in Keyon Ware-Hudson, Kristian Williams, Brandon Dorlus, and Sua’ava Poti who may be light on hype compared to Thibodeaux, but could be just as critical to the unit’s future success.

But what about this year?

As mentioned, Thibodeaux is a near lock – barring injury or some other unforeseen circumstance – to earn considerable playing time this season, as he acquitted himself well enough during the spring to put himself in contention for a starting role. The forecast for immediate playing time for Ware-Hudson, Williams, Dorlus, and Poti, however, appears to be far more cloudy.

For one, unlike Thibodeaux, none of the four have yet competed in a fully-padded collegiate practice. And while early reports from summer conditioning drills appear promising, everyone knows that proving yourself in the weight room and in agility drills is a far cry from getting it done against live competition in a game or practice setting.

Secondly, the current depth chart isn’t exactly inviting. Not only are Scott, Baker, Carlberg, and Austin Faoliu absolutely entrenched as rotational regulars, but they are backed up by seniors Sione Kava and Gus Cumberlander, redshirt sophomore Popo Aumavae, and redshirt freshman Andrew Faoliu, each of whom has multiple games, if not seasons, worth of playing experience under their belts at this level.

For Duck fans, there’s plenty to be excited about both in the present and the future as it relates to the defensive line, which is something that’s been seldom said throughout the history of this program. But, despite growing optimism about the group, those looking for 2019’s class of defensive linemen to emphatically announce their arrival this upcoming season should mostly temper those feelings ’til 2020.