Season In Review: Defensive Line

Reviewing Oregon's 2019 season and looking ahead to spring drills.

DEPTH CHART
DT: Drayton Carlberg, Sr.; Austin Faoliu, Jr.; Gary Baker, Sr.; Brandon Dorlus, Fr.; Sua'ava Poti, Fr.
NG: Jordon Scott, Jr.; Popo Aumavae, So.; Sione Kava, Sr.; Kristian Williams, Fr.; Keyon Ware-Hudson, Fr.; Miguel Nevarez, RFr.
DE: Gus Cumberlander, Sr.; Kayvon Thibodeaux, Fr.; DJ Johnson, So.; Andrew Faoliu, Rfr.

Starters: Oregon's defensive front was at the vanguard of what ended up being an elite unit for the Ducks in 2019 under new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos. With Jordon Scott, Austin Faoliu and Drayton Carlberg battling it out on the interior, and Gus Cumberlander and Kayvon Thibodeaux helping set the edges, The UO defense allowed its fewest rushing yards per game in more than a decade, and the fewest rushing touchdowns in a season since the days of the Pacific Coast Conference. Opponents rushed for just 108.9 yards per game against the Ducks in 2019, the most stout run defense played by Oregon since 2003 (107.1), and the Ducks allowed just five rushing touchdowns all year — the first time a UO defense allowed a total in the single digits since 1963 (nine).

Scott started 13 games at nose tackle and also shifted out to tangle with guards and even tackles at times, eating up space between the guards while also contributing 32 tackles. Faoliu led the UO linemen with 39 tackles; when Scott and Faoliu announced in January they intended to remain at Oregon in seniors in 2020, both expressed determination to become more effective pass rushers, which will be a welcome development in the absence of Carlberg. Along with being the star of strength and conditioning coach Aaron Feld's "Flex Friday" videos on social media, Carlberg contributed three sacks as a senior, forced one fumble and recovered one as well.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the 106th annual Rose Bowl Game at Rose Stadium in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2020 (Samuel Marshall/Eric Evans Photography)

The Oregon Ducks take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the 106th annual Rose Bowl Game at Rose Stadium in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2020 (Samuel Marshall/Eric Evans Photography)

The primary pass-rush threats were Cumberlander, until his career cruelly was cut short by an injury, and then the freshman all-American Thibodeaux. Excelling first as a backup to Cumberlander and than as a starter over five games following the senior's injury, Thibodeaux led the Ducks with nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He became much more than a pure pass-rusher late in the season, holding his own at the point of attack and even beating interior linemen from Utah and Wisconsin in the postseason.

Reserves: Among the biggest year-over-year improvements on the team was enjoyed by Popo Aumavae. His career trajectory at Oregon was also to develop because of shoulder injuries, but after getting his feet wet in 2018, Aumavae matured into a reliable contributor in 2019. He led the UO interior line with 3.5 sacks, including one late in the game at Washington that helped seal Oregon's victory in Seattle. The Ducks also got dependable if understated contributions from depth defensive linemen Gary Baker, DJ Johnson, Andrew Faoliu and Sione Kava over the course of the season, with Kava making one start, at USC. But by season's end perhaps the most intriguing reserve was true freshman Brandon Dorlus. He began the year with some late-game appearances against nonconference foes, seemingly in line to retain his redshirt. But Dorlus saw the field in each of the last three games, and made his presence felt when he did so.

Developmental squad: By shedding his redshirt, Dorlus is now a year ahead in eligibility of his fellow true freshman interior linemen from the 2019 recruiting class. Kristian Williams, Keyon Ware-Hudson and Sua'ava Poti combined for eight appearances, with Ware-Hudson getting his first Pac-12 reps at Stanford, and Williams doing so against Colorado. But all three were able to redshirt, giving them another year to develop behind Scott, Faoliu, and Aumavae in 2020. The freshmen spent most of the season on the developmental squad, tangling with Oregon's veteran offensive line every day in practice, which could only serve to advance their development. Miguel Nevarez was in the mix there as well, though he moved over to the offensive line at midseason due to injuries there.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the 106th annual Rose Bowl Game at Rose Stadium in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2020 (Samuel Marshall/Eric Evans Photography)

ROB'S TAKE

SPRING PROJECTION
DT: Austin Faoliu, Sr.; Brandon Dorlus, So.; Sua'ava Poti, RFr.; Jake Shipley, Fr.
NG: Jordon Scott, Sr.; Popo Aumavae, Jr.; Kristian Williams, RFr.; Keyon Ware-Hudson, RFr.; Miguel Nevarez, So.
DE: Kayvon Thibodeaux, So.; DJ Johnson, Jr.; Andrew Faoliu, So.; Bradyn Swinson, Fr.

What to Watch: The return of Scott and Faoliu alongside Thibodeaux gives Oregon a very strong three-man line to open 2020. The group behind them — Aumavae, Dorlus and Johnson, potentially — lacks their level of experience, but all have shown encouraging signs the last season or two. Johnson in particular still seems only to have scratched the surface of his potential, so his progress in spring will be something to watch. Williams had his season cut short by injury, so he spends this offseason building his strength levels back up and looking to regain his momentum from early in the 2019 season. New to the mix will be winter enrollees Bradyn Swinson and Jake Shipley; they have a tough rotation of talented veterans to crack if they're looking to see the field in 2020, but arriving in time for winter conditioning and spring practice gives them a head start on that effort, at least.