D’Antre Robinson, Jerome Simmons bring big bodies to Oregon DL room

The Oregon Ducks had a period of concern early in the offseason when the transfer portal opened. After both coordinators left Eugene for head coaching gigs elsewhere, the Ducks lost some of their coveted depth.

More specifically, the defensive line depth decided to find new homes through the portal. The Ducks managed to retain key starters A'Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander to keep big bodies in the interior, but lost plenty of important role players. Tionne Gray, Terrance Green and Jericho Johnson (who followed Tosh Lupoi to Cal in the portal) left the program and created a big question for the Ducks to answer.

"You want to have guys that can play the run and be stout, especially in this conference," defensive line coach Tony Tuioti said. "You can't have enough big bodies in the run game. A lot of teams that are playing deep in the playoffs like depth is so important, and the biggest thing for us is, how can we find guys that have certain traits? Want to find guys that can be physical at the point of attack, but also be able to rush the passer too, as well."

Fortunately, Tuioti knew where to look to replace the lost size inside. The Ducks pulled two defensive tackles out of the portal: D'Antre Robinson and Jerome Simmons .

Robinson, a transfer from Florida and North Carolina, should be a massive piece for the Ducks next season, literally. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound lineman is a strong run defender. He made 39 tackles and 2.5 for a loss last season with the Tar Heels. Coming to Eugene as a junior with experience playing in both the SEC and ACC, Robinson has some valuable experience to bridge the gap between Oregon's veteran group and rising talent.

"D’Antre has been a really good addition to us," Tuioti said. "He's a big body that's athletic. He can run. He's been to a few programs before he came here. It's just like a lot of the other guys that have come here, we got to be able to delete some of the things that were bad habits that they created, and try to download some good ones for them that they can use to help them, put them in a situation where they can win.”

Robinson figures to be battling with fellow redshirt sophomore Aydin Breland for snaps in the rotation up front this fall. The Ducks haven't been afraid to swap defensive linemen in and out of games frequently, and that seems likely to continue next season with Robinson in the mix.

"D’Antre does a really good job of being able to play with his hands and striking blocks and playing combination blocks," Tuioti said. "Going back and just watching this tape, and then he's also athletic enough to be able to win and push the pocket inside.”

Simmons, a Louisiana-Monroe transfer, might be a bit further down the depth chart initially, but his 330-pound frame could make him a problem for opposing offenses in short-yardage situations. He began his career at Highland Community College and became a four-star JUCO prospect before committing to South Carolina. However, due to academic reasons, he never got on the field for the Gamecocks and landed with the Warhawks.

In eight games last season, Simmons made 10 tackles and a pass deflection. As a senior, Simmons will likely be part of the battle for the third or fourth interior spot behind Washington and Alexander. Despite a lack of playing time at this level, Tuioti believes Simmons can be another reliable space-eater down low.

“You look at Jerome Simmons, another big body type for us," Tuioti said. "It's hard to find big bodies, especially in the situation we were in by the time we were done with the season, looking at some guys to fill up our roster. He adds that to our depth."

This spring has been revealing about Oregon's ability to continue to win in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and so far, the Ducks appear to be happy with their newest additions up front.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Robinson, Simmons reloading Ducks' defensive line