Over a dozen spring football practices are in the books for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks, and the team is now getting set to take the field in Autzen Stadium for the annual spring game on Saturday afternoon. This will be the third official scrimmage for Oregon this spring, but the first played in front of fans and a live television audience.While this is nothing new for the majority of the Ducks' returning roster, it will be a new experience for many young players fighting for spots on the depth chart. With several months of offseason still ahead, nothing will be set in stone as far as starting spots go following the spring game, but this will offer up a great opportunity to see who is fighting for snaps and where the depth chart stands at this point.
Though we haven't been able to see any practices or scrimmages thus far, talking to players and coaches over the past several weeks has given us a look at who is playing where and which young players are stepping up and potentially grabbing top spots on the depth chart. Here is our prediction of how things will look when we see them on Saturday.Nose TackleStarter: Bear AlexanderBackup: Matthew JohnsonOther Names to Know: Jerome Simmons / Aydin BrelandAnalysis: Bear Alexander returns for another year and will slot in as the starter once again. Behind him, the depth gets a little bit interesting and hard to forecast this early on.
Some early names to look at, though, are Jerome Simmons, Matt Johnson, and Aydin Breland, who can likely slot in across the defensive front.Defensive TackleStarter: A'Mauri WashingtonBackup: D'Antre RobinsonOther Names to Know: Matt Johnson / Aydin Breland Analysis: A'Mauri Washington, a projected first-round draft pick in 2025, is back for another year, which is massive for the Ducks. Much like the nose tackle spot, though, things get a bit unclear behind him. With the mass of transfers out at this position, it's unclear who will be his backup.
I'm looking at North Carolina transfer D'Antre Robinson, Aydin Breland, and Matt Johnson. Freshman Tony Cumberland was originally on this list, but after being involved in a car accident, he is out for the remainder of the spring season. Defensive EndStarter: Matayo UiagaleleiBackup: Elijah RushingOther Names to Know: Tank Jones / Prince TavizonAnalysis: Matayo Uiagalelei returns for his senior season, which again is a huge win for the Ducks.
But, just like on the interior defensive line, there are some questions behind him. The edges are in better shape than the inside, depth-wise, with guys like Elijah Rushing and Tank Jones projected to have an impact, but it will be interesting to see how this depth chart fleshes out in the spring and summer. Jack LinebackerStarter: Teitum TuiotiBackup: Nasir WyattOther Names to Know: Tank JonesAnalysis: Once again, Teitum Tuioti returns and provides some massive stability for the Ducks.
Behind him, it's not hard to project that Nasir Wyatt is going to step up and have a bigger role, and Tank Jones can likely play in this spot as well. Strong Side LinebackerStarter: Nasir WyattBackup: Tank JonesOther Names to Know: Dutch HoriskAnalysis: Nasir Wyatt looks primed for a bigger role in this defense, assuming he continues to bulk up a bit this offseason, so I think he will slot in as the starter here, especially with Blake Purchase gone. I also want to see Tank Jones step up into this position as well.MAC LinebackerStarter: Devon JacksonBackup: Brayden PlattOther Names to Know: Gavin Nix / Dylan WilliamsAnalysis: There are some questions about the linebacker spots this offseason, with Bryce Boettcher graduating.
I expect someone like Devon Jackson to step up and be the guy in one of these spots. The Ducks also have a lot of young and talented players ready to have an impact.Money LinebackerStarter: Jerry MixonBackup: Brayden PlattOther Names to Know: Gavin NixAnalysis: After stepping into a starting role this past season, Jerry Mixon projects to be one of the leaders of this defense next year, and potentially the green-dot linebacker that Oregon has been needing over the past couple of years. I am also curious to see what Brayden Platt and Gavin Nix can do with another year of growth under their belts.Boundary CornerbackStarter: Ify ObidegwuBackup: Na'eem OffordOther Names to Know: Aaron Scott / Dorian Brew / Davon BenjaminAnalysis: Ify Obidegwu had a great year in 2025 as one of the starting cornerbacks, and that shouldn't change next year either.
He will undoubtedly be pushed by guys like Na'eem Offord, Doran Brew, and Aaron Scott Jr., among others, but that's not a bad thing for the Ducks. The more competition, the better.Field CornerbackStarter: Brandon Finney Jr.Backup: Aaron Scott Jr.Other Names to Know: Davon Benjamin / Dorian BrewAnalysis: Brandon Finney was the star of the show this year on Oregon's defense, dominating as a true freshman and earning true freshman All-American honors. He should once again be among the best cornerbacks in the nation n