The dog days of summer have arrived. And while there’s little cause for celebration during this portion of the calendar, there is good news to report:

WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview has arrived as well!

As fall camp fast approaches, WFOD will be rolling out an in-depth series of position-by-position previews to help you fully prepare for the upcoming season.

Our Fall Camp Preview series continues Monday with a breakdown of Oregon’s cornerbacks.

As always, you can find the most up-to-date look at the Oregon depth chart by visiting our Living Depth Chart page.

The Headliner

With the start of the 2019 season only a matter of weeks away, the Oregon defense, more so than most years, has received its fair share of pub and recognition. A major reason for this is the caliber of returning talent at each position group. Jordon Scott serves as the pillar of the Duck defensive line, while Troy Dye provides the same kind of rock solid reliability for the linebackers. In the secondary, that player is junior Thomas Graham.

An AP Pac-12 All-Conference second team selection a year ago, Graham ranked second in the Pac-12 in passes broken up (18), while finishing second on the team in interceptions (3) and sixth on the team in total tackles (56). This coming off a stellar freshman campaign that saw the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native tie for the team lead in interceptions (3) while finishing third in tackles (62). Now entering his third and perhaps final season in Eugene, Graham hopes to unlock an additional level to his game that we caught routines glimpses of over the final quarter of the season. A level that not only places him at or near the top of the conference, but also has him contending for All-American honors, which would make him the first Oregon defensive back since Ifo Ekpre-Olomu in 2014 to earn such recognition.

The Supporting Ensemble

Oregon’s depth at corner is arguably as good as it’s been heading into an upcoming season since the early days of the Helfrich era. Graham’s exploits are well known at this point, but 2019 could serve as a big year for Oregon’s other corners, most notably junior Deommodore Lenoir. As a true freshman in 2017, Lenoir was thrust into action out of pure necessity more than anything else but gained valuable experience that helped him lock down the starting job opposite of Graham as a sophomore. As a sophomore, Lenoir demonstrated the same kind of late season development that Graham exhibited. And while his numbers may not have been as impressive when stacked next to Graham’s, Lenoir more than doubled his number of tackles from his freshman year to his sophomore year (25 to 52) while finishing second in pass breakups (9) and tied for second in interceptions (3). With that, it’s fair to expect Lenoir to produce his best season yet this fall.

Providing immediate depth behind Graham and Lenoir is redshirt freshman Verone McKinley, a talented 5-foot-10, 190-pound former three-star prospect from Carrollton, Texas who figures to make an impact this season as one of defensive coordinator Andy Avalos’ primary options at nickel back. Other veterans, such as former JUCO transfer Haki Woods and converted wide receiver Daewood Davis, are big, physical cornerbacks who help fill out the depth here.

The Intriguing New Cast Member

Incoming freshmen such as Kayvon Thibodeaux and Mycah Pittman seemed to generate the most attention once the ink was dry on Oregon’s 2019 recruiting class, but it’s the second highest-rated recruit in the Ducks’ class who may prove to be the very best of the bunch. A reason for the lack of buzz surrounding four-star prospect Mykael Wright likely has to with the fact that Wright was unable to play his senior year due to complications surrounding his transfer from Valencia High School to Antelope Valley High School prior to the 2018 season. The time off, however, didn’t seem to halt Wright’s development this past spring, as the fourth-ranked corner in the 2018 class finished the day with five tackles, three passes broken up, and one interception. While he may not be able to overtake Graham or Lenoir for a starting job, Wright will command considerable playing time this season.

Though Wright is the freshman grabbing attention in the defensive backfield, don’t count out fellow true freshman DJ James. Once verbally committed to Mississippi State, Oregon was able to successfully flip James in the days leading up to the February signing period before ultimately having to fend off a late Signing Day push from Alabama to keep the Spanish Fort native close to home. Rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, James’ film from his senior season suggests something much different. His outstanding ball skills and physicality are reminiscent of a player who should be much higher rated in our eyes.

The Stirring Subplot

What is Mykael Wright’s ceiling as a freshman?

Barring injury or some other unforeseen circumstance, it seems like a near certainty that Mykael Wright will ascend to a level commensurate with some of the best who have ever played the position at Oregon. That’s expected of a player who arrives in Eugene as the highest-rated cornerback in program history, but the hype surrounding Wright has been legitimized over the span of a few short months. Just ask Thomas Graham, who said this spring that, “If [Wright] does what he has to do, and focuses like he will, he will be a freshman All-American like I told you [Jevon Holland] would be when he first came in. It’s just up to him and how he wants to play that.”

How exactly Wright plays it will be something to watch. The freshman All-American label feels lofty, even for Wright’s standards, and especially considering the quality of both Graham and Lenoir. Displacing either of them in the starting lineup is probably a bridge too far. However, given Avalos’ desire keep the Ducks “multiple” on defense, it’s easy to see Wright emerging as the clear cut third corner in nickel situations. In this instance, we feel Wright could rather easily deliver on some of the promise that has been preordained.

WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Quarterbacks
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Running Backs
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Wide Receivers
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Tight Ends
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Offensive Line
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Defensive Line
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Linebackers