Oregon Ducks' Secondary Changes Flying Under The Radar?

Between a new starting quarterback, a new-look offensive line and changes occurring all the way down the Oregon Ducks’ roster, the differences in Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s squad have been a topic of discussion in the preseason.

dan lanning oregon ducks secondary sione laulea transfer portal dillon thieneman jadon canady chris hampton theran johnson — Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning visits with players before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

But not all change is a bad thing. While the Ducks lost prominent players from their 2024 team, Lanning added size and stardom to many position groups.

One area where the program reloaded with players was Oregon’s secondary.

Oregon's Secondary In 2024

The Ducks’ 2024 secondary group gave some elite performances throughout the season. Defensive back Jabbar Muhammad was a standout name in 2024, picking up All-Big Ten honors. Muhammad, as well as big contributors on the secondary last season in Tysheem Johnson, Dontae Manning and Nikko Reed all stood under six feet tall.

Oregon’s secondary intercepted 12 passes a year ago, ranked 25th nationally in passing yards allowed per game, ranked 17th in passing efficiency defense and ranked 16th in scoring defense.

The Ducks became one of the nation’s most disruptive pass defenses last season, all while their starters were among the country’s smaller units. Even though 2025 will feature a completely different set of players, the secondary has the potential to be just as troublesome for opposing offenses, if not more.

“We got some quality players there and hungry players,” Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi said. “Just had a individual meeting with that group, and it's exciting, and it's a reminder of just like the National Football League, every single day we come to work, we are fighting, and we're fighting for our jobs, and ultimately, somebody's going to run out there first.”

The size of the secondary finally caught up to Oregon in its postseason defeat to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Ducks’ smaller defensive backs struggled to cover larger wide receivers such as Buckeyes wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. With the starting unit being full of seniors, Oregon entered the offseason looking to replace production lost.

Lanning Adds Size To Secondary

The Ducks picked up a trio of proven defensive backs from the transfer portal – all of whom are over 5-11. Purdue transfer safety Dillon Thieneman is among the most highly touted players on Oregon’s defense, but Lanning also brought in veteran defensive backs Theran Johnson and Jadon Canady.

Lanning also returns younger defensive backs who prepare to take on larger roles, such as redshirt freshman Kingston Lopa and redshirt junior Sione Laulea.

“It's just a room full of opportunity,” Laulea said at Oregon media day. “I feel like everyone has a clean slate. No one has negative nor positive on them, and it's just an open book for them to draw their own stories be included.”

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Laulea ranked the No. 2 junior college transfer nationally in 2023 and utilized a redshirt with the Ducks in 2024 after four appearances. Listed at 6-4, 196 pounds, Laulea is one of the larger players in Oregon’s secondary.

“I think it's unusual for corners to be my size, so that helps to an advantage. And then just lining up, I line up about yard and a half off,” Laulea said. “If I reach my arms out, I can touch a receiver at the snap of the play. I feel like that'll play out well and then makes it a little harder for the quarterback to put it in a good position.”

Thieneman, Johnson and Canady all come in with experience from their previous stops, but no one in the program’s 2025 secondary enters the season with an abundance of experience with Oregon.

But people doubting the Ducks’ potential in 2025 because of a lack of experience has been the theme of the preseason. It’s not something that Lanning nor defensive backs coach Chris Hampton seem to be concerned about.

"We're not as experienced. I think everyone knows that, but we do have the height, the weight, the speed. We look the part,” Hampton said. “I think we got all the talent to be a really good secondary, and we just got to do it and continue to grow each and every day. We're going in the right direction.”