Season In Review: DL

Reviewing Oregon's 2023 season and looking ahead to spring drills.

2023 ROSTER
DE: Brandon Dorlus, Sr.; My'Keil Gardner, Fr.; Johnny Bowens III, Fr.
NT: Popo Aumavae, Sr.; Taki Taimani, Sr.; A'Mauri Washington, Fr.; Terrance Green, Fr.; Tevita Pome'e, Fr.; Josh Simmons, Jr.; JaJuan Dickey, So.
DT: Casey Rogers, Sr.; Keyon Ware-Hudson, Jr.; Ben Roberts, So.
DE: Jordan Burch, Jr.; Matayo Uiagalelei, Fr.; Jake Shipley, Jr.; Ashton Porter, Fr.

Starters: After a 2022 season marked by injuries on the defensive line, the unit roared back with one of the best seasons in the trenches ever by a UO defense. Led by the versatile Brandon Dorlus, Oregon's defense helped limit seven different opponents to less than 10 points, including Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. The Flames led the nation in rushing offense in 2023, at 293.3 yards, but managed just 168 in the bowl game. Entering the game, Dorlus and the Ducks' D line had a chance to finish the season allowing under 100 rushing yards per game; as it stands, the UO defense allowed 102.6 per game, ranking 11th in the country. The Ducks also had 34 sacks, almost double their total of 18 from 2022.

Dorlus was the tone setter, finishing the season with 25 tackles including a team-high five sacks. He was bookended by an addition from the transfer portal, Jordan Burch, who had 34 tackles with a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss. They were freed up to make plays by the presence inside of Popo Aumavae and Taki Taimani, who bounced back from injury marred 2022 seasons to tie up the middle for the UO defensive line, and also the relentlessly active Casey Rogers. That trio combined for 61 tackles with seven tackles for loss — including three sacks by Aumavae, an impressive total for player who primarily played over the center.

Reserves: Keyon Ware-Hudson played in all 14 games in the rotation along the interior of the line, and matched Rogers with 21 tackles on the season. Matayo Uiagalelei and Jake Shipley provided depth on the edge, with the true freshman Uiagalelei finishing with 18 tackles including three for lost yardage with two sacks. Ben Roberts and A'Mauri Washington provided more depth on the interior; Washington in particular seemed to make really big strides in his development over the course of his first season in college.

Matayo Uiagalelei

Developmental squad: By staying healthier in 2023 than the year before, the D line didn't need to rely on even more true freshmen. But there's talent aplenty in that class that was able to redshirt, including My'Keil Gardner, Terrance Green, Johnny Bowens III and Ashton Porter. They were able to get reps with the "look" defense at times, a group led by veteran Josh Simmons and bolstered by the addition of JaJuan Dickey. Tevita Pome'e saw his 2023 participation limited by an injury.

2024 SPRING PREVIEW
Veterans: Keyon Ware-Hudson, Sr.; Jordan Burch, Sr.; Matayo Uiagalelei, So.; Ben Roberts, Jr.; A'Mauri Washington, So.; My'Keil Gardner, RFr.; Ashton Porter, RFr.; Terrance Green, RFr.; Johnny Bowens III, RFr.; Josh Simmons, Sr.; JaJuan Dickey, Jr.
Newcomers: Jamaree Caldwell, Sr.; Aydin Breland, Fr.; Tionne Gray, Fr.; Jericho Johnson, Fr.; Xadavien Sims, Fr.

What to Watch: It will be a new era this spring with the loss of long-time veterans Dorlus and Aumavae along the line, along with two-year contributors Rogers and Taimani. To replace some of that experience, the Ducks added a big veteran in Jamaree Caldwell. Among the incoming freshmen this winter, Tionne Gray was an early arrival who participated in some bowl practices. He was joined in January by classmates Aydin Breland, Jericho Johnson and Xadavien Sims. Competition is the name of the game in spring, and it should be a fierce battle among the first- and second-year Ducks to join a rotation led by the likes of Burch, Ware-Hudson and Uiagalelei come fall.