With Bryce Boettcher off to the NFL, Oregon Ducks linebacker Jerry Mixon is stepping into a bigger leadership role in the linebacker room.

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning discusses players stepping up for starting positions. Lanning talks about guys stepping up for starting positions. Lanning talks about Linebacker Jerry Mixon stepping up to be a leader in the defense.

Chris Simms runs through the fourth tier of his 2026 NFL Draft linebacker rankings, dissecting the games of Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez, Oregon's Bryce Boettcher and Alabama's Justin Jefferson.

With preparations for 2026 already beginning, here's our early ranking of the top defenses in the Big Ten ahead of next season.