There aren’t many significant areas of need for the Oregon Ducks when it comes to the transfer portal this spring, but throughout Dan Lanning’s time in Eugene, we’ve consistently seen him use the portal to add to the roster and bolster certain positions with talent, whether it’s in the winter portal or spring portal.
We’ve broken down where those potential areas could come for the Ducks this spring, and at the top of the list is the linebacker spot. Following the departures of Jeffrey Bassa and Jestin Jacobs, Oregon’s linebacker corps is not only thin but also relatively inexperienced. Thankfully, the Ducks were able to return senior Bryce Boettcher for one more season. However, they still have only seven players in the room, two of whom — Boettcher and Devon Jackson — have legitimate experience on the field.
As for Brayden Platt, Kamar Mothudi, Dylan Williams, Jerry Mixon, and Gavin Nix, there is talent, but limited production.
So it would make sense for the Ducks to try and find a veteran backer in the portal this spring to bolster the depth. When talking to Oregon’s LB coach Brian Michalowski on Saturday, though, that doesn’t appear to be a major priority at the moment.
“I take a lot of pride in developing guys,” Michalowski said. “If I’m having to go to the portal, what’s that say about me as a coach when it comes to development? I take a lot of pride in building from the bottom up, and I think it’s a position that with as much leadership as we have to have and experience in communicating, that’s the best way to do it at the inside linebacker position. The young guys have done just a phenomenal job.”
The young guys who Oregon is expected to lean on this year come from the class of 2024 — a trio of redshirt freshman who were among the top recruits in the class. Platt, Mothudi, and Williams all ranked among the top 215 players in the nation, and project nicely in Eugene. According to Michalowski, all of them have shown a lot this offseason.
“That 24 class, all those guys are downhill linebackers, extremely aggressive with with physicality,” Michalowski said. “And they’ve just grown mentally, and it’s such a mental position, so they’re doing a great job of understanding that.”
Of course, Michalowski saying publicly that they don’t plan to go to the portal for a linebacker isn’t necessarily something that you should always take at face value. There are multiple motives for wanting to keep that behind closed doors, the most important of which would be to keep the current players on the roster in Eugene, rather than in the transfer portal for fear of losing their spot in the rotation.
It’s also possible that Oregon hasn’t found any LBs who are both available and “above the line” at the moment. Should that change, so too could their tune.
“I think we just have to approach personnel decisions as they come, but at the same time, my mindset is build a room,” Michalowski said. “Build a room from the bottom up. These guys are all very talented. They had an opportunity to come to Oregon, and they came here for that development piece. So I honor that every day, just being the the best mentor and teacher that I could be for them.”
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Football Transfer Portal: Will Ducks add linebacker in 2025?
There aren’t many significant areas of need for the Oregon Ducks when it comes to the transfer portal this spring, but throughout Dan Lanning’s time in Eugene, we’ve consistently seen him use the portal to add to the roster and bolster certain positions with talent, whether it’s in the winter portal or spring portal.
We’ve broken down where those potential areas could come for the Ducks this spring, and at the top of the list is the linebacker spot. Following the departures of Jeffrey Bassa and Jestin Jacobs, Oregon’s linebacker corps is not only thin but also relatively inexperienced. Thankfully, the Ducks were able to return senior Bryce Boettcher for one more season. However, they still have only seven players in the room, two of whom — Boettcher and Devon Jackson — have legitimate experience on the field.
As for Brayden Platt, Kamar Mothudi, Dylan Williams, Jerry Mixon, and Gavin Nix, there is talent, but limited production.
So it would make sense for the Ducks to try and find a veteran backer in the portal this spring to bolster the depth. When talking to Oregon’s LB coach Brian Michalowski on Saturday, though, that doesn’t appear to be a major priority at the moment.
“I take a lot of pride in developing guys,” Michalowski said. “If I’m having to go to the portal, what’s that say about me as a coach when it comes to development? I take a lot of pride in building from the bottom up, and I think it’s a position that with as much leadership as we have to have and experience in communicating, that’s the best way to do it at the inside linebacker position. The young guys have done just a phenomenal job.”
The young guys who Oregon is expected to lean on this year come from the class of 2024 — a trio of redshirt freshman who were among the top recruits in the class. Platt, Mothudi, and Williams all ranked among the top 215 players in the nation, and project nicely in Eugene. According to Michalowski, all of them have shown a lot this offseason.
“That 24 class, all those guys are downhill linebackers, extremely aggressive with with physicality,” Michalowski said. “And they’ve just grown mentally, and it’s such a mental position, so they’re doing a great job of understanding that.”
Of course, Michalowski saying publicly that they don’t plan to go to the portal for a linebacker isn’t necessarily something that you should always take at face value. There are multiple motives for wanting to keep that behind closed doors, the most important of which would be to keep the current players on the roster in Eugene, rather than in the transfer portal for fear of losing their spot in the rotation.
It’s also possible that Oregon hasn’t found any LBs who are both available and “above the line” at the moment. Should that change, so too could their tune.
“I think we just have to approach personnel decisions as they come, but at the same time, my mindset is build a room,” Michalowski said. “Build a room from the bottom up. These guys are all very talented. They had an opportunity to come to Oregon, and they came here for that development piece. So I honor that every day, just being the the best mentor and teacher that I could be for them.”
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Football Transfer Portal: Will Ducks add linebacker in 2025?
