Dan Lanning Emphasizing Building Oregon Defense "From the Ground Up"

Four coordinators in five years is hardly a recipe for any program to maintain success. But for the Oregon Ducks in the last five years, they’ve recruited some elite defensive players that make up, on paper, a defensive foundation capable of winning championships.

The only time in the last half decade that Oregon has returned a defensive coordinator for a second season, the Ducks ranked in the top 10 in the country in rushing defense and scoring defense en route to a Pac-12 title and Rose Bowl victory.

Based on that trajectory, the Ducks may not boast an elite defense in the Dan Lanning era right out of the gate. But with the talent on the roster and the coaching staff led by Lanning, Tosh Lupoi, and Matt Powledge, this defense is finally built for sustained success at a high level.

Brandon Dorlus

So what is the philosophy for Lanning and the staff in terms of building the 2022 Oregon defense? The Ducks' head coach explained the staff's process Thursday after their first spring practice, and he said that they're not just beginning to craft a defense with spring getting underway. The head coach has utilized every second of his time with players since getting to Eugene.

"We're gonna build it from the ground up," Lanning said. "Luckily, I think something that's changed over the last few years is you get the opportunity to do football even before spring ball. We've had walkthroughs, we've had some football operation, and I think that's going to help us be able to push the envelope."

Oregon's defensive players, especially those who came to Eugene since the COVID-ridden 2020 season, will definitely benefit from having football operations begin in the winter, not long after their loss to Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. But even with the surplus of time for workouts and install that 2020 and even 2021 didn't allow, it will still be a test for the Ducks to adjust to yet another defensive scheme.

Bennett Williams

Last season, Tim DeRuyter emphasized the importance of simplifying the playbook so that players aren't slowed down, and even some of the players remarked that his install process was easier and simpler than that of Andy Avalos.

Lanning alluded to a similar approach when asked about the defensive install currently underway, but implied that Oregon has a unique situation.

"I've kind of always been a guy that feels like you can throw it all at them and then we'll see what sticks," he said. "But that being said, we're certainly gonna be a little bit more limited in our menu than we've been in the past. It wasn't a super limitation today. You want to see your guys play fast."

With just one spring practice behind them, the Ducks won't be masters of the new defense for quite a while, but according to Lanning, so far so good for the players on the field on Thursday.

"If we're making a bunch of schematic errors on offense or defense, then we're doing too much. And that wasn't the case. We peeled it back a little bit and did a little less. But we're going to carry all elements to our defense and all elements to our offense that we think can make us competitive on gameday."

Lanning noted that both sides of the ball were making "explosive" plays on day one, which is music to any Oregon fan's ears.

Justin Flowe

Another similarity between the install of DeRuyter's defense and Lanning's is the emphasis of leveraging versatility and training players at multiple positions. DeRuyter implemented a defense that allowed edge rushers to stand up in the box and drop into coverage to make plays in the passing game.

While it's unclear exactly what Lanning's defense will look like (don't expect him to give much away), he's made it clear multiple times that he likes the versatility on the roster.

The spring roster was revealed on Thursday and with it came some position updates. Jackson Powers-Johnson was listed as an offensive and defensive lineman, DJ Johnson was listed as an outside linebacker, Jeffrey Bassa will move to inside linebacker, Jonathan Flowe shifts to defensive back, and Jonah Miller switches to defensive line.

"Every situation is fluid," Lanning said regarding the position shuffling on the roster. "We're not going to throw our head in here and say that there's only a limitation on what one guy can do. Every guy in our program is gonna learn multiple positions. We want to have position versatility and be able to play our best 11 in a multitude of ways. We're starting them right now where we think they can impact Oregon football the best."

Versatility. Size. Speed. Explosiveness. The big four attributes that have been apparent with the 2022 Oregon defense so far can also be traced back to defenses that Lanning and Lupoi have coached.

The future of the Ducks' defense is perhaps as bright as it has ever been. Spring ball will give Oregon fans a chance to see if the hype is for real, and the pressure is on for Lanning and his crew, as they'll be forced to have an impressive audition against Kirby Smart — a man who knows Lanning's tendencies and style better than anyone.

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