The period of time that spans between the end of spring practice and the start of fall camp is often a period dotted with roster fluctuation across the country. Players enter the program, leave the program, or make personal decisions to stick with the program.

Nothing is certain except for change, which also makes this period of time one of tempered nervousness and anticipation for many college coaches. Throw in a destabilizing factor such as a global pandemic, and that only ratchets up the uncertainty meter.

Such is the case for Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, who in addition to seeing the premier game of his team’s non-conference schedule go up in smoke, also must deal with one less body being available to his linebacker unit after the apparent departure of sophomore linebacker Ge’mon Eaford.

According to a report from The Oregonian‘s James Crepea, Eaford will be transferring to Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College. Per Crepea, an athletic spokesperson at Fort Scott has confirmed Eaford’s transfer to the school.

Ranked as the nation’s 10th-best outside linebacker and a four-star recruit in the 2019 class by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Eaford – a native of Deerfield Beach, Fla. – verbally committed to the Ducks in August of 2018 before appearing in 10 games last season, notching just one tackle.

Upon his commitment, Eaford quickly became one of the more enthusiastic members of Oregon’s ballyhooed 2019 recruiting class on social media leading up to his decision to sign with Oregon that December. After making an early name for himself on special teams during the 2019 season, Eaford was a player who was in line to potentially expand his role as a second-team linebacker entering the 2020 campaign.

Fortunately for Oregon, despite Eaford’s departure, they appear solidly equipped to absorb the loss from a depth perspective. Not only do the Ducks bring back a host of veterans in seniors Dru Mathis and Sampson Niu plus redshirt sophomore MJ Cunningham, but they also welcome a celebrated incoming class of freshman linebackers in Justin Flowe, Noah Sewell, and Jackson LaDuke.