Oregon Needs Young Defensive Linemen to 'Close the gap' Amid Injuries to Veterans in Spring

Four defensive linemen who started at least one game in 2021 have yet to practice this spring.

In the season and a half since Andy Avalos' defense put up 41 sacks in 2019, the Oregon Ducks have only mustered up 35 sacks in 21 games.

Now, Dan Lanning and his brand new staff have inherited a defensive line looking to replace an early first-round NFL draft pick in Kayvon Thibodeaux, who accounted for 10 of those sacks in the past two seasons.

The question of who will step up off the edge is a debacle of its own, but the defensive line as a whole is expected to take a significant leap in production, largely due to the success that Lanning and Tosh Lupoi have had coaching the trenches.

However, the interior of the defensive line, considered a strength of the Ducks' defense, limped into spring ball with multiple starters recovering from injuries. Popo Aumavae, Brandon Dorlus and Keyon Ware-Hudson have not practiced with the Ducks this spring, and Kristian Williams has missed time as well. 

Oregon DL Brandon Dorlus

Of course Defensive Line Coach Tony Tuioti would like to have the quartet of defensive linemen who combined for 31 starts last season on the practice field, but he told reporters following Saturday's scrimmage that their absence opens a door for some young players to grow.

"This is really a great opportunity for a lot of young guys to get reps, like Keanu Williams, Sua'ava Poti, and Maceal Afaese," Tuioti said. "This is a great time for the young guys to try to close the gap in terms of reps."

DL Sua'ava Poti Oregon Spring Football

Of those young players, Tuioti highlighted Keanu Williams and Jake Shipley as those who have grown and improved in the first half of spring ball. He also underlined Sam Taimani's leadership and energy in his first spring with the Ducks after transferring from Washington.

Tuioti said that due to the circumstances with injuries, building depth is invaluable for the group and for the defense as a whole.

"These young guys gotta understand that everybody's gotta be ready to go," he said. "Throughout the course of the season, we can't control what's going to happen with injuries. It's very important for these young guys to understand like, 'I gotta prepare myself like I'm always gonna be the next guy up.'

"For me, I always want to have my rotation whether it's the eighth guy or the first guy, the better we can be from one to eight, the better we're gonna be when we're in the game. It doesn't matter who's going in and out. We can still play at a high level."

The defensive line is in "work in progress mode" in Tuioti's eyes, and he and the staff are instilling a "growth mentality." But after allowing some big runs in Saturday's scrimmage, he acknowledged that the unit has a long way to go from getting to that high level.

"We've got to be stout at the point of attack," Tuioti said. "We want these guys to be able to recognize what's happening in front of them and to react. That's the game. No matter what level of football that you're playing, it's all about recognition and reaction, and these young guys gotta be able to see what's happening in front of them and then react to it really, really fast."

Oregon OLB Mase Funa

With seven spring practices remaining, Tuioti is still improving himself as he establishes chemistry with his group and learns how to coach them against Kenny Dillingham's "really, really fast" offense. At the end of the day, he wants his group to be known for their toughness and relentlessness — a theme that has been echoed from the defensive coaches throughout spring.

"I'm looking for guys that play with hard effort, guys that are relentless, guys that are tough," Tuioti said. "We're not even close to where we want to be at, and that's what spring ball is all about. I want the younger guys to continue to improve because they have to close the gap between the older guys that are not taking reps right now, and I think those guys are coming along."

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