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Oregon Ducks Cornerback Christian Gonzalez Declares for 2023 NFL Draft

The Ducks lose their top defender from the 2022 season to the NFL draft.

Oregon Ducks cornerback Christian Gonzalez has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft and is choosing to opt-out of the Holiday Bowl against the North Carolina Tarheels. 

He announced his decision on Sunday.

As bowl game announcements flood the news feeds, we'll see whether or not players chose to return for another season at their respective schools or opt out of games in preparation for the draft.

Gonzalez spent his first two seasons at the University of Colorado before transferring over to Oregon after the 2021 season, following his defensive back's coach Demetrice Martin to Eugene. He ended his college career at Oregon with 50 tackles and four interceptions while starting in all 11 games.

Oregon benefited from picking up the talented corner from the Buffaloes, as he consistently locked down his side of the field. Gonzalez is predicted to go ninth overall in the first round according to the latest mock draft from CBS Sports and 19th according to USA Today.

The Ducks' biggest issue this season was stopping the pass. The Ducks finished the regular season ranked 106th out of 131 teams in passing yards per game, with opponents averaging 260.6 yards. When it came down to it, teams began to target the weaker links that were playing opposite of Gonzalez in the secondary.

One game that had fans excited for the third-year corner was his return to Boulder in a week 10 matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffs limited attacking that side of the field where Gonzalez was holding it down, but he still ended up finishing the game with two interceptions and two tackles. The first interception was returned 36 yards in what looked like a touchdown, but it was waived off after a review ruled him out short of the goal line.

"Coach Meat. Thank you for taking a chance on me as a 17-year-old and being the best developer in college football," he wrote in a farewell note on social media. "You changed the way I look at the game and helped me get to a level that I wanted to be at and I can't be more thankful."

With the departure of Gonzalez to the draft after a great season, Martin will need to rally his group in preparation for the Ducks' next game against a talented North Carolina team. Trikweze Bridges, Dontae Manning and Jahlil Florence should be expected to be the main three cornerbacks in the rotation against the Tarheels.

Next year the Ducks will be adding three solid players from their 2023 recruiting class provided their commitments hold. Oregon holds commitments form four-star Cole Martin and Caleb Presley as well as three-star Collin Gill. This position group should be one to look forward to after a full offseason of work under Dan Lanning and adding new talent to the roster.

READ MORE: Oregon Ducks transfer portal tracker

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