Predicting Oregon Ducks' defensive depth chart ahead of spring season

It's been a long start to the offseason for Oregon Duck fans, many of whom are excited to enter a new year, one that brings high expectations for another run at the national championship in Eugene.

With Dante Moore and Evan Stewart leading a talented offense that returns a long list of starters, and Matayo Uiagalelei , A'Mauri Washington , and Teitum Tuioti doing the same thing on defense, there's a lot of promise with Dan Lanning's team going into the 2026 season.

Thankfully, the wait to see some of that promise show itself is over. The spring season kicks off for the Ducks on Thursday, with the first of 15 spring practices taking place at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. Over the next month, we will see Oregon go through its spring workouts, leading up to the annual Spring Game on April 25.

What we see during this time won't set things in stone for the season once fall comes, but it will be a great preview for what we expect to see once games are being played in September and beyond. So what will that roster look like, and who can we expect to be the impact players down the stretch? It may be way too early to be making any of these predictions, but that's not going to stop us.

Here's our look at what the Oregon defensive depth chart looks like going into the 2026 spring season.

Nose Tackle

• Starter: Bear Alexander

• Backup: Matthew Johnson

• Other Names to Know: Jerome Simmons / Aydin Breland

Analysis: Bear Alexander returns for another year and will slot in as the starter once again. Behind him, the depth gets a little bit interesting and hard to forecast this early on. Some early names to look at, though, are Jerome Simmons, Matt Johnson, and Aydin Breland, who can likely slot in across the defensive front.

Defensive Tackle

• Starter: A'Mauri Washington

• Backup: D'Antre Robinson

• Other Names to Know: Matt Johnson / Aydin Breland / Tony Cumberland

Analysis: A'Mauri Washington, a projected first-round draft pick in 2025, is back for another year, which is massive for the Ducks. Much like the nose tackle spot, though, things get a bit unclear behind him. With the mass of transfers out at this position, it's unclear who will be his backup. I'm looking at North Carolina transfer D'Antre Robinson, Aydin Breland, Matt Johnson, and Tony Cumberland early on, though.

Defensive End

• Starter: Matayo Uiagalelei

• Backup: Elijah Rushing

• Other Names to Know: Tank Jones / Prince Tavizon

Analysis: Matayo Uiagalelei returns for his senior season, which again is a huge win for the Ducks. But, just like on the interior defensive line, there are some questions behind him. The edges are in better shape than the inside, depth-wise, with guys like Elijah Rushing and Tank Jones projected to have an impact, but it will be interesting to see how this depth chart fleshes out in the spring and summer.

Jack Linebacker

• Starter: Teitum Tuioti

• Backup: Nasir Wyatt

• Other Names to Know: Tank Jones

Analysis: Once again, Teitum Tuioti returns and provides some massive stability for the Ducks. Behind him, it's not hard to project that Nasir Wyatt is going to step up and have a bigger role, and Tank Jones can likely play in this spot as well.

Strong Side Linebacker

• Starter: Nasir Wyatt

• Backup: Tank Jones

• Other Names to Know: Dutch Horisk

Analysis: Nasir Wyatt looks primed for a bigger role in this defense, assuming he can bulk up a bit this offseason, so I think he will slot in as the starter here, especially with Blake Purchase gone. I also want to see Tank Jones step up into this position as well.

MAC Linebacker

• Starter: Devon Jackson

• Backup: Brayden Platt

• Other Names to Know: Gavin Nix / Dylan Williams

Analysis: There are some questions about the linebacker spots this offseason, with Bryce Boettcher graduating. I expect someone like Devon Jackson to step up and be the guy in one of these spots. The Ducks also have a lot of young and talented players ready to have an impact.

Money Linebacker

• Starter: Jerry Mixon

• Backup: Gavin Nix

• Other Names to Know: Brayden Platt

Analysis: After stepping into a starting role this past season, Jerry Mixon projects to be one of the leaders of this defense next year, and potentially the green-dot linebacker that Oregon has been needing over the past couple of years. I am also curious to see what Gavin Nix can do with another year of growth under his belt.

Boundary Cornerback

• Starter: Ify Obidegwu

• Backup: Na'eem Offord

• Other Names to Know: Dorian Brew/Davon Benjamin

Analysis: Ify Obidegwu had a great year in 2025 as one of the starting cornerbacks, and that shouldn't change next year either. He will undoubtedly be pushed by guys like Na'eem Offord, Doran Brew, and Aaron Scott Jr., among others, but that's not a bad thing for the Ducks. The more competition, the better.

Field Cornerback

• Starter: Brandon Finney Jr.

• Backup: Aaron Scott Jr.

• Other Names to Know: Davon Benjamin / Dorian Brew

Analysis: Brandon Finney was the star of the show this year on Oregon's defense, dominating as a true freshman and earning true freshman All-American honors. He should once again be among the best cornerbacks in the nation next year and lead the Ducks' secondary. Again, I'm curious to watch guys like Scott, Brew, and Benjamin, as well as Na'eem Offord, who may play out wide or in the nickel.

Boundary Safety

• Starter: Aaron Flowers

• Backup: Trey McNutt

• Other Names to Know: Jett Washington / Xavier Lherisse

Analysis: After earning the starting spot this past year alongside Dillon Thieneman , Flowers projects to be one of the best players on Oregon's defense once again next season. He's going to be pushed by former 5-star Trey McNutt, who was injured for much of 2025, but the Ducks' secondary looks to be very strong once again.

Field Safety

• Starter: Koi Perich

• Backup: Peyton Woodyard

• Other Names to Know: Trey McNutt / Devin Jackson

Analysis: With Dillon Thieneman going to the NFL draft, Oregon went into the portal and got a great replacement in Koi Perich, from Minnesota. Perich is a rangy safety who will excel in coverage, leading the secondary much like DT did last year. Behind him, I once again expect guys like Peyton Woodyard and Trey McNutt to step up.

STAR/Nickel

• Starter: Carl Williams IV

• Backup: Na'eem Offord

• Other Names to Know: Davon Benjamin / Aaron Scott Jr.

Analysis: Oregon went into the portal to land Baylor's Carl Williams IV, who likely will slot into the Nickel position to replace Jadon Canady , who was great for the Ducks this past year. I am also intrigued by Na'eem Offord, who could play in the nickel or out wide, as well as true freshman Davon Benjamin.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks' defensive depth chart projection ahead of spring season