Season In Review: Secondary

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

DEPTH CHART
CB: Thomas Graham Jr., Jr.; Mykael Wright, Fr.; Charles Sudduth, Sr.; John Harvey, Jr.
CB: Deommodore Lenoir, Jr.; DJ James, Fr.; Trikweze Bridges, Fr.; Jordan Adeyemi-John, RFr.
Nickel: Jevon Holland, So.; Jamal Hill, Fr.; Haki Woods Jr., Sr.
S: Verone McKinley III, RFr.; Steve Stephens IV, RFr.; Sean Killpatrick, Sr.; Max Wysocki, Fr.
S: Nick Pickett, Jr.; Brady Breeze, Jr.; Lucas Noland, RFr.; Jack Steil, Jr.

Starters: All Oregon's secondary did in 2019 was lead all Power 5 teams in interceptions with 20, while allowing only five explosion plays of 40 yards or longer, tied for eighth in the FBS. The only two plays of 50 yards or longer that the Ducks allowed all season came in the same game, and they were a determining factor in the team's lone Pac-12 loss of the season, at Arizona State. Otherwise, Oregon's secondary was able to minimize big plays by the offense while making a bunch themselves, including critical stops late in wins at Washington and in the Rose Bowl over Wisconsin.

Jevon Holland moved from field safety to the nickel position as a sophomore. He had big shoes to fill after the departure of Ugochukwu Amadi, but Holland was up to the task. He finished second on the team with 66 tackles and tied for the team lead with four interceptions. Holland traded spots over the offseason with his friend Verone McKinley III, who moved from nickel to field safety and started 11 of the first 12 games. McKinley began his career at corner and brought his coverage skills to the safety spot, matching Holland's four interceptions, until the postseason when Brady Breeze replaced him in the Ducks' "big nickel" package.

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 (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 (Eric Evans Photography)

Breeze and Nick Pickett provided a physical duo on the back end that was a good matchup against Utah and Wisconsin. Breeze had 62 tackles on the season and Pickett had 45. At corner, the Ducks returned both starters in Thomas Graham Jr. and Deommodore Lenoir. They're both fearless as tacklers, evidenced by Graham's 64 tackles and Lenoir's 56, and very solid in coverage. Graham broke up 10 passes and Lenoir broke up seven, and they combined for three interceptions. Each considered a jump to the NFL this offseason before opting to return; Graham said he wants to prove he has the speed to play at the next level, while Lenoir wants to evolve beyond his specialty, which is playing bump-and-run at the boundary corner position.

Reserves: Though they were returning starters, neither Graham nor Lenoir could afford to get complacent. Mykael Wright was a sensation as a true freshman, playing in all 14 games and breaking up four passes. Had one of the veterans made the jump to the NFL, the Ducks would have felt great about Wright's ability to slide in as a starter. As it is, Oregon in 2020 should have at least three cornerbacks that could be depended on to play full-time. Another true freshman, DJ James, also worked his way onto the field in 13 games, logging valuable experience for the future.

Daewood Davis began the year at corner but filled in at his old position, receiver, due to injuries. At safety, Breeze began the year as a backup to Pickett but ended it as a starter, based on matchup decisions and also his knack for making big plays. When he was with the No. 2 defense, Breeze played a lot with Steve Stephens IV, who had one interception and also contributed on special teams. Holland's backup at nickel was Haki Woods Jr. to start the year, and then true freshman Jamal Hill later. But Holland rarely left the field, regardless of the personnel group.

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 (Eric Evans Photography)

Developmental squad: Trikweze Bridges came to Oregon as a ballhawking safety recruit, but moved to cornerback to help with a lack of depth there. At 6-foot-3, Bridges would be a really intriguing prospect at corner, and he spent the season getting comfortable at that position with the UO defense. Charles Sudduth always gave the offense a really good look in coverage drills — he was one of the best guys on the team in 1-on-1 pass drills — and Jordan Adeyemi-John like Bridges brought good size to the corner group on the scout team. They were joined after the season started by John Harvey, a dual-sport athlete who competes in track. The safety spots featured a couple of veterans in Sean Killpatrick, a very accomplished student-athlete in the classroom, and physical in-state product Lucas Noland. Max Wysocki joined the rotation last offseason, and Jack Steil provided further depth when he joined up in the fall. Steil is the son of Oregon's longtime certified athletic trainer Kevin Steil.

ROB'S TAKE

SPRING PROJECTION
CB: Thomas Graham Jr., Sr.; Mykael Wright, So.; JJ Greenfield, Fr.; John Harvey, Sr.
CB: Deommodore Lenoir, Sr.; DJ James, RFr.; Trikweze Bridges, RFr.; Jordan Adeyemi-John, So.
Nickel: Jevon Holland, Jr.; Jamal Hill, So.
S: Brady Breeze, Sr.; Verone McKinley III, So.; Steve Stephens IV, So.; Max Wysocki, RFr.
S: Nick Pickett, Sr.; Bennett Williams, Jr.; Lucas Noland, So.

What to Watch: The Ducks return so much quality, experienced depth that there are no wrong answers to what should be the biggest questions of the spring. For one thing, what does Breeze's late-season emergence mean for the safety rotation? It's hard to imagine him not being a starter at this point; then again, if the Ducks face offenses that are more wide open than Utah or Wisconsin, with more skill players on the field, McKinley might remain the best matchup for that. Also, how does Wright impact the corner rotation? The Ducks could potentially go with a three-player rotation, keeping Graham, Lenoir and Wright fresh and taking advantage of all three. This winter two 2020 recruits, Bennett Williams and JJ Greenfield, arrived on campus. You can see from the projection above that the Ducks are going to look very different in the secondary come 2021, so their development over the course of the next 18 months will be huge for next year and beyond.