Top Defensive Performers From Oregon Football's First Fall Scrimmage
It was great to be back inside Autzen Stadium to see the Ducks hold their first scrimmage of fall camp. Inevitably it's impossible to cover everyone that had strong performances, but we feel these players stood out the most on Tim DeRuyter's defense.
You can find more in-depth analysis on each player listed by listening to the most recent episode of the Ducks Digest Podcast, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Justin Flowe-Linebacker
Flowe goes through linebacker drills at Oregon fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
Here's a name you shouldn't be surprised to see. Flowe was an absolute force during the scrimmage and picked up right where he left off in the spring. Flowe had multiple sacks, blew up a run play, and absolutely demolished Seven McGee when he came flying up the middle and the running back had to step up in pass protection. Give him credit though--not many would want to step into that situation.
Don't forget that he recovered a fumble following a pitch from Jay Butterfield to Travis Dye near the goal line. The freshman backer is a ball of energy and was slamming his hands on the ground after big plays and testing the strength of his helmet, pounding his fists into his head and yelling on the field all night. We can't wait to hear fans roar in Autzen when this guy makes a big play when the regular season rolls around.
Steve Stephens-Safety
Stephens at Oregon fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
Steve Stephens has grown a lot during his three seasons at Oregon and some people may not be giving him enough credit. He signed with Jevon Holland in the Ducks' 2018 recruiting class and has continued to develop.
His highlight of the day came on a very physical pass breakup intended for Moliki Matavao, and he was flying around roaming the secondary. He got some good run with the first-team defense and this is a guy that has definitely adjusted to the college level.
It looks like he's starting to reach his potential after earning All-American distinction in high school as one of the best safeties in the country.
Mykael Wright-Cornerback
Wright leaps for a ball during a drill at Oregon fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
Wright didn't make a ton of plays in the scrimmage, yet he's one of our top performers. The big play that really caught our attention was a near one-handed interception that saw him go up with Johnny Johnson III on a deep ball from Anthony Brown early on.
He ultimately didn't come down with it, but it was another flash of his elite athleticism and playmaking ability. You didn't hear Wright's name mentioned a lot, and we've come to learn that's a good thing. If you aren't, it more than likely means he's locking down his assignment and quarterbacks aren't testing him.
Excellence continues to be the standard for him and don't expect anything less after landing on the preseason watch list for both the Paul Hornung and Jim Thorpe awards.
Bradyn Swinson-Edge
Swinson goes through drills at Oregon fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
Swinson got a lot of run with the first-team defense Saturday with Mase Funa limited. He's lost around 20 pounds this offseason and flashed some of his speed, bend and flexibility by beating Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu in a one-on-one matchup to get a sack.
The Ducks defense could ascend to the next level if the team can get another pass rusher to pair opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux and Swinson looks like a prime candidate. When asked about the second-year freshman following the scrimmage, Cristobal singled him out as the player that improved the most of anyone at any position in the past week of practice.
He's going to be all over the field this year, including special teams. Cristobal added that the Ducks look for range and growth potential when recruiting his position and it looks like Swinson has more than enough of it.
Trikweze Bridges-Cornerback
Bridges goes through warmups at Oregon fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
We had a close eye on Bridges in Saturday's action, seeing that he's almost guaranteed to see a bigger role in this year's defense. He had some big plays during the scrimmage, but the one that stuck out the most was a deep ball thrown to Troy Franklin from Anthony Brown.
Bridges didn't get the best jump on the route, but he used his length to extend and break up the pass. This was some of the recovery that we saw lauded by the coaching staff earlier this week in fall camp. He's in a heated contest with Dontae Manning for reps but is coming along nicely and was seen receiving advice and instruction from Wright during the scrimmage.
Adding a lengthy corner to the starting defense that can defend the larger receivers will be invaluable.
Honorable mention: Bryan Addison-Safety
Addison at Oregon fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
In a similar vein to Stephens, some may have forgotten about the 6-foot-4 defensive back after signing as an athlete with the Ducks in 2018. Addison got a lot of run at safety on Saturday and was one of the players we did a bit of a double take on when we realized who was making plays.
He did drop a couple of would-be interceptions, but that means he was in the right place at the right time and is capable of turning that into production. Addison also had some great tackles in the spring game and is very intriguing to see roam the secondary as another long defender.
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