A year ago, the Oregon Ducks had a offense that was as good as any in the nation, but a defense that at times struggled to hang with the best teams in the Pac-12. Whether it was missed assignments or blown coverages, the defensive secondary often received ridicule for their play down the stretch.
The Ducks finished the year with the No. 106 passing defense in the nation, with a third-down conversion rate that ranked No. 126 in the nation. While a lot of that had to do with the lack of a pass rush applying pressure to the QB, the secondary also shares some of the blame with subpar coverage.
Going into 2023, though, the defensive secondary is hoping to have a stronger start to the year, and cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin says that the driving factor in their success so far has been connection and communication.
“A lot more connection within the scheme,” Coach Meat said. “A lot better communication, understanding when to use certain tools that we’ve given them to put in their tool belt when it comes up to different parts of the coverages. Knowing just the different formations, things like that. A lot of that is a lot smoother.”
With many players in the secondary entering their second year under Dan Lanning and Coach Meat, there are others who transferred in this year to provide some support. Among them are former Colorado CB Nikko Reed, Alabama CB Khyree Jackson, and Ole Miss safety Tysheem Johnson. With those three, and a long list of incoming freshmen, Martin says that the learning process is taking some time, but guys are coming along quickly.
“Obviously, the young guys are struggling a little bit but they’re coming along too because we got a lot more guys that know it on the field,” Martin said.
As fall camp continues to roll along and the Ducks iron out more of a depth chart, the cream will rise to the top. There is a lot of talent in the secondary, but more production is crucial as Oregon prepares for a promising season that could land them in the College Football Playoff conversation.
After listening to Coach Meat, they appear to be well on their way to achieving that production.
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