Occupying a very small corner within one of the wildest years in modern human history has been a college football offseason and now season that has appropriately reflected our current day and age. The twists and turns have been numerous and well documented over the past several months, as COVID-19 continues to hang like an anvil over the viability of a 2020 college football season. In addition to that, college football’s player empowerment movement and the multiple opt-outs from high profile players across the country (including a handful who were on the Oregon roster) has also contributed in shaking the foundation of a decades-old American institution.
The extent to which these factors will change the previously accepted landscape of college football is unknown. What is known, however, is that after previously postponing the 2020 football season, the Pac-12 has decided to change course and proceed with an abbreviated conference schedule, joining the vast majority of the FBS on the gridiron this fall.
With Friday set as the official start date of fall camp for the Ducks, WFOD is here to help preview and bring you up to speed on the upcoming season by providing its position-by-position breakdown of the Oregon roster. The series continues Tuesday, as we take an in-depth look at the linebackers.
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
The face of the Oregon linebacking unit and the defense at large for the past four seasons is gone. During that four-year span, Troy Dye experienced just about everything you can possibly experience as a prominent college football player at a major program. Finishing his career as one of the most productive linebackers in school history, Dye was there for every moment of Extreme Makeover: Oregon Football Edition. From the 4-8 season in 2016 that officially marked the end of a previously golden era, to last season’s Pac-12 Championship and Rose Bowl winning team, Dye presided over a defense and a program that effectively re-made itself during his time in Eugene.
With Dye now in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, the leadership role at linebacker now falls to redshirt junior Isaac Slade-Matautia, a player Dye claims was just as responsible for the organization and success of last year’s defense as Dye himself. And truthfully, it’s hard to argue with those sentiments based on Slade-Matautia’s production alone, as the Honolulu native finished tied for fourth on the team in tackles (62) and tackles for loss (6.5), while leading the team in passes broken up (11) and quarterback hurries (6).
Entering his second full season as the Ducks’ starter in the middle, the expectation now for Slade-Matautia is for him to take that next step as a vocal leader. Certainly no one expects Slade-Matautia to transform overnight into the energetic and ebullient presence that Dye was on the field, but his ability to take even more authoritative control over the defense while continuing to lead by his exemplary play could serve as a major boon for a position group that is loaded with rising stars.
The Supporting Ensemble
With Slade-Matautia serving as the central nervous system for the Ducks on defense, the opportunity is there for the talented young players around him to further grow into their roles as potential game-changers. Topping that list is sophomore STUD linebacker Mase Funa.
Rated as a four-star prospect and no. 4-ranked inside linebacker nationally coming out of the 2019 recruiting cycle, Funa wasted little time making his presence known as a true freshman last season, notching five of his eight and half tackles for loss and three of his four sacks within the Ducks’ first three games. Funa’s production tailed off as the season wore on, but the skills he possesses were evident. With Bryson Young now graduated and Funa granted even more time to get his 6-foot-3, 260-pound frame in the right place coming off a knee injury that forced him to miss his senior year, the Anaheim (Calif.) native could be in line for a breakout sophomore campaign.
Fellow sophomore Adrian Jackson finds himself in a similar position as Funa in terms of breakout potential in 2020 after the Denver (Colo.) product missed all of last season nursing a foot injury that forced him to use his redshirt. In 2018, however, Jackson was one of a handful of newcomers who impressed his veteran teammates with his college-ready physique and athleticism during fall camp of that year. Jackson parlayed that into a solid freshman season that saw him appear in 12 games tallying 13 tackles, most of which came on special teams and spot duty on defense. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Jackson is a highly versatile athlete who should excel in Andy Avalos’ defense which takes full advantage of multiple formations and Swiss Army Knife body types.
Veterans Sampson Niu, Dru Mathis, and MJ Cunningham return to provide the Ducks with quality experience to blend with their mesmerizing stockpile of youngsters. Between the three of them, they combine for 52 games of experience, with Niu serving as the most battle-tested member of the group with 33 career appearances, 65 total tackles, five tackles for loss (including two sacks), one interception, and one forced fumble. He’s a player who could be in line to take over for Troy Dye as a starter should he be able to fend off one of the five-star freshmen. Don’t forget either about redshirt freshmen Treven Ma’ae and Isaac Townsend, as well as redshirt sophomore Andrew Faoliu, the younger brother of Ducks defensive lineman Austin Faoliu. Each figures to push Funa for reps at STUD linebacker, as the Ducks hope to take advantage of each player’s noted pass rushing skills.
The Intriguing New Cast Member(s)
When you’ve signed not one, but two, five-star linebackers to your incoming freshman class, it can be difficult to pick between them when trying to identify the most deserving person for this category. And since we make the rules around here, we’ve decided to feature both Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell in this space.
Rated as the no. 1 and no. 2 inside linebackers in the country in the 2020 recruiting class, respectively, per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Flowe and Sewell continue the recent line of potential program-shifting players to make their way to Eugene on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, in terms of all-time recruits to sign with Oregon, Flowe (no. 2) and Sewell (no. 5) are two of the top five highest-rated recruits in program history per 247Sports, joining Kayvon Thibodeaux (no. 1), Haloti Ngata (no. 3), and Jonathan Stewart (no. 4). Both players are expected to garner their fair share of headlines once fall camp gets underway, and if you’ve seen their highlight tape, you understand why. At 6-foot-2 and 246 pounds, Flowe has been called the best linebacker prospect to hail from the state of California in at least the last decade, while the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Sewell is as uniquely freakish in terms of his athleticism as any player we’ve seen in recent recruiting cycles. How both players acquit themselves in Year 1 with defensive coordinator Andy Avalos should be something to behold.
Joining these two high-profile recruits at linebacker are four-star prospect Jaden Navarrette and three-star prospect Jackson LaDuke. LaDuke is a player who Mario Cristobal has made a point of additional lauding when conversations about Flowe and Sewell have come up, as he believes he’s a player who deserves to be recognized as one of the truly impact freshmen in this class. He has the versatility to play anywhere in the Ducks’ linebacking corp, while Navarrette is expected to eventually challenge as a STUD/outside linebacker.
The Stirring Subplot
How much of an impact do Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell have as true freshmen?
There are sooo many intriguing storylines surrounding this team entering the 2020 season, but the one occupying the fanciful imagination of fans and observers of the program is Avalos’ application of Flowe and Sewell. Barring injury or some unforeseen circumstance, it’s a safe bet that both players will be featured in a handful of defensive packages this season. Beyond that though, is it possible that one, or both, will lock up a starting job by the time fall camp comes to a close?
It’s certainly not out of the question considering the uber-talents of both players, but the path to playing time isn’t necessarily crystal clear. With Slade-Matautia, Funa, and perhaps even Jackson having the inside track on starting positions, that leaves Flowe and Sewell to not only contend with one another, but also a veteran group consisting of Niu, Mathis, and Cunningham. Gut instinct says that, given the disjointed nature of the offseason and both players essentially seeing the field as Ducks for the first time starting Friday, neither player is a member of the starting 11 on defense to open the year vs. Stanford. However, as the season wears on and each becomes more and more comfortable with the defense and speed of the college game, it would come as no surprise to see at least one wrap up a starting job by midseason.
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Quarterbacks
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Running Backs
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Wide Receivers
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Tight Ends
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Offensive Line
WFOD’s 2020 Fall Camp Preview – The Defensive Line
Top Photo: Oregon LB Isaac Slade-Matautia (247Sports)