Going into last
season, the
Oregon
secondary was widely regarded as the strongest unit on the team.
Self-proclaiming themselves as
“D-Boyz,” the unit had an up-and-down season.
Last summer, they had to deal
with tragedy when safety Todd Doxey drowned during a summer team outing. While
playing with heavy hearts, the unit took turns wearing Doxey’s No. 29 jersey
for all the home games and the Holiday Bowl.
On the field, the unit had a
solid year. They played a lot of man-coverage, allowing the defense to stack the
box to shut down opponent' rushing attacks.
Despite missing a couple of
games due to injury, Walter Thurmond III tied teammate Jairus Byrd for the
Pac-10 lead in interceptions. At safety, Patrick Chung made plays all over the
field, and T.J. Ward led the team in tackles.
To be fair, the unit did allow
more passing yards than expected. These statistics can be a little misleading,
as blowout victories and a strong run defense forced opponents to throw the ball
more against the Ducks.
After the season, Jairus Byrd
decided to bypass his senior season for the NFL Draft. His selection early in
the second round by the Buffalo Bills proved that his decision was justified.
Patrick Chung was also chosen
in the second round by the Patriots, leaving the Ducks with the daunting task of
replacing two quality starters.
The good news for the Ducks in
'09 is that they do return their top cover cornerback in Walter Thurmond III, as
well as heavy-hitter T.J. Ward.
Thurmond, a six-foot, 180-pound
senior, has been a starter throughout his career at
Oregon
. He made an immediate impact and was named a freshman All-American in 2006.
Thurmond can be mentioned in the same breath as Rashad Bauman, Alex Molden, and
Cliff Hicks when describing the best Ducks to ever play the position.
Thurmond punishes opponents on
out routes, either by stealing
the ball and taking it to the house, or by displaying the philosophy of
“whap-whap.”
This term, introduced by Chung
to describe the willingness of Oregon's defensive backs to hit opponents, became the trademark of
senior T.J. Ward’s game.
On National Signing Day in 2004,
the Ducks made a splash by signing all four blue-chip recruits from De LaSalle
High School (Concord, California)—Cameron Colvin, Jackie Bates, Willie Glasper, and the late
Terrance Kelly. No one would have predicted that a fifth senior from that high
school would have the biggest impact at
Oregon
.
T.J. Ward, who stands
5-foot-11 and weighs 205 pounds, decided to join his buddies and enroll at
Oregon
before the '05 season as a walk-on. By the end of his redshirt freshman year,
he had made his presence known and earned a scholarship.
A converted corner, Ward has
the speed and ability to cover receivers, but his ability to hit
opponents like Jack Tatum makes him a natural at free safety.
There are several candidates
for the corner position opposite of Thurmond.
Leading the way is Talmadge Jackson III. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound junior played in all 13 games last season,
including starts versus
Boise
State
and
Washington
State
when Thurmond was injured.
Jackson
is also versatile enough that the coaches may move him over to compete for the
starting rover position.
Another corner with starting
experience is senior Willie Glasper, who comes in at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds.
Glasper was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, and was expected to
immediately contribute to the Ducks.
Though he may not be the future
All-American that Duck fans envisioned on signing day, he has had a solid
career, playing in all 39 games during his three years of competition at
Oregon
.
There are several other
candidates for the starting position.
Kenjon Barner, a 5-foot-11,
180-pound redshirt freshman, figures to challenge for both the corner and rover
positions this fall. A natural athlete, Barner even filled in at halfback this
spring, impressing the coaches and onlookers.
Also in the mix is sophomore
Anthony Gildon (6-1, 175 pounds), who redshirted last season after playing
as a true freshman in '07. Another blue chip recruit coming out of high school,
Gildon stuck with his commitment to
Oregon
despite a strong push by Pete Carroll and USC for his services.
Oregon
also signed three cornerback recruits this season: Brian Jackson (
Hoover
,
Alabama
), Avery Patterson (
Pittsburg
,
California
), and Cliff Harris (
Fresno
,
California
).
Harris (5-foot-11, 170 pounds)
highlights the class. He played in the US Army All-American Game, during which
Scout.com analyst Brandon Huffman labeled him as “the best cover corner in the
country.” He could play immediately.
Javes Lewis enters the fall as
the favorite to start at rover for the Ducks in '09. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound
sophomore backed up Chung last season, and played well when he was on the field.
His top challenge could come
from 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior Marvin Johnson. Johnson’s biggest impact will
probably still come on special teams, where he made a name for himself on
kickoff coverage.
There are several other
defensive backs on the roster who could play their way onto the field—Scott Grady, Brian Butterfield, Will Wallace, and Chad Peppars are examples—but will
most likely be factors on special team units this fall.
Oregon
has had a history of solid play from defensive backs.
Playing strong man-to-man
defense and allowing the Ducks to attack the box, has been the trademark of Nick
Allioti’s teams during his tenure in
Eugene
.
This year figures to be no
different.