Oregon Secondary Taking Shape Heading Into Week One
The Oregon Ducks' organizational chart for Saturday's season opener against Fresno State was released Monday, and one position group that has been competitive all offseason has been the secondary. The starting unit will look a bit different on the field against the Bulldogs this weekend given the turnover it has faced.
For starters, Deommodore Lenoir and Nick Pickett have graduated and moved on from the program, leaving behind 64 combined starts. DJ James and Jamal Hill, while reinstated and practicing once again after their off-the-field incident, are unavailable for Saturday's game.
James and Hill were each expected to be at the top of their respective positions — James taking over as the boundary corner and Hill returning as the starting nickel after starting six of seven games at the position last year.
The Ducks will have a few new faces, as well as some players that were key backups, in the starting lineup on Saturday. The headliner is at the boundary corner position, where Trikweze Bridges and Dontae Manning serving as co-starters in camp and splitting time with the ones in practice.
"There's been great competition between Trikweze and Dontae," Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter said Saturday. "They knew every single day at practice, they gotta be spot on or the other guys are gonna get their reps. That competition is gonna continue."
"Those guys are so tight in there in terms of competition," Cornerbacks Coach Rod Chance said last week of the boundary battle. "We're not ready to call it just yet."
That has remained true this week as well. As Chance pointed out, both cornerbacks are such different players — Bridges is a longer, experienced defensive back that is more of a press coverage guy, while Manning has one game under his belt and is more "tightly-wound" and "explosive," as described by Chance.
The decision will be tough to make, but it will be very important seeing as how Fresno State has an elite passing attack with the likes of Jalen Cropper, Keric Wheatfall, and Zane Pope having the ability to take the top off a defense. Either way, the Ducks will have a solid young corner at the boundary to give starting reps to, and whoever backs him up will almost certainly get significant time as well.
"It's great to see a guy like Trikweze develop like he's been developing because he certainly is very valuable to this football team," Cristobal said. "Dontae Manning being healthy for the first time since he's been here has shown that he's a great player."
The young defensive backs get to face some talented wide receivers in practice every day, such as Johnny Johnson III, Mycah Pittman, Devon Williams, and the plethora of freshmen as well.
"Even though they're young, they're going against some really good receivers in a very explosive offense," Cristobal said. "They're getting really good experience, and we're very confident in them."
Mykael Wright will start at the opposite corner position for the second season in a row, while also being the primary kick returner for the Ducks.
Wright is the lone veteran in the cornerback group listed on the organizational chart as five freshmen surround him, including Bridges, Manning, Avante Dickerson, Darren Barkins, and Jaylin Davies. Dickerson and Barkins are listed as backup field cornerbacks, while Davies will be the third-string boundary.
"We knew going into the season that it was going to be an opportunity for these guys," Cristobal said of the depth in the Ducks' secondary. "We knew that whoever came in was going to have to contribute, and the guys that were here were going to have to step up and play significant downs or be called upon to be starters."
The Ducks are a bit older at safety. Verone McKinley III returns as the starting free safety, with converted wide receiver Bryan Addison playing behind him. Steve Stephens IV earned the job at boundary safety, while Jordan Happle will spend time at the STAR and boundary safety spots.
Bennett Williams is the starter at the STAR hybrid position, which allows him to show off his underrated coverage skills. He can also tackle in space in more of an outside linebacker type role. Cristobal said that his command of the defense has improved dramatically this offseason, which played a role in him getting the nod, along with his man-to-man coverage skills and physicality.
"Bennett Williams has to be on the field regardless of the situation at that position with some of the things that have transpired," Cristobal said. "He has earned this, and I think every single coach and player on this team will tell you how fired up they are to watch him play and how impressive he's been in camp."
Oregon has a variety of youthful and explosive players, as well as captains who have some mileage in the secondary. The group will definitely be one of the most tested on the team, especially with games against elite passing offenses like Fresno State, Ohio State, and UCLA on the horizon.
More from Ducks Digest
Cristobal Previews Fresno State Matchup
Oregon Releases Organizational Chart Ahead of Season Opener
Why Anthony Brown Won the Starting Job
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