Predicting the Ducks’ two-deep depth chart ahead of 2022 season-opener against Georgia
It’s been a long time coming, but game week is officially here for the Oregon Ducks. In just a matter of days, we will see this new-look team on the field led by Dan Lanning and his new staff.
There is still a load of questions to be answered before we can be sure about how good this team really is going to be this year. Many of those questions won’t be answered because they have to do with where players will line up on the field, and who the starters will be. Oregon will not be releasing a depth chart ahead of the first game of the year, but through several practices and a couple of scrimmages, we have gathered enough information to formulate an idea about what that depth chart may look like.
There are still a few positions where we are unsure, but for the most part, this is how I expect things to look on Saturday afternoon.
Quarterback
Depth Chart: Bo Nix // Ty Thompson
My Prediction: Dan Lanning and his staff have been consistent all fall about not naming a starter publicly, and while we thought the info might come out during the game week, it appears we will have to wait until kickoff on Saturday. I feel confident that it will be Nix as the starter, though, based on what we’ve seen and heard so far from fall camp, with Ty Thompson operating as QB2.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Byron Cardwell OR Sean Dollars OR Bucky Irving OR Noah Whittington
My Prediction: For the most part, this may be the truest “OR” scenario for the Ducks this year, because I think that they will largely run a committee out of the backfield to keep everyone fresh. There will be one player who technically “starts” the game, but I don’t think any of these 4 players should be considered the true starter.
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart:
X — Troy Franklin // Chase Cota
Z — Dont’e Thornton // Caleb Chapman
H — Kris Hutson // Seven McGee
My Prediction: A lot of wiggle room in there. While I think the starters are going to be Franklin, Thornton, and Hutson, there will be a lot of rotation between the six players, with a chance we also see some Kyler Kasper and Josh Delgado as well as the others listed above.
Tight End
(Photo by Zachary Neel | USA TODAY Sports)
Depth Chart: Terrance Ferguson OR Moliki Matavao
My Prediction: I think it will be Ferguson and Matavoa at the top of the depth chart when the players actually take the field. We will likely see Cam McCormick and Patrick Herbert rotate in a bit as well, but the first two are by far the leaders of the group so far.
Offensive Line
Photo by Ethan Landa
Depth Chart:
Left Tackle — TJ Bass // Josh Conerly
Left Guard — Ryan Walk // Marcus Harper
Center — Alex Forsyth // Jackson Powers-Johnson
Right Guard — Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu OR Steven Jones
Right Tackle — Steven Jones OR Dawson Jaramillo
My Prediction: There are so many moving pieces on the offensive line that I think it’s almost impossible to know what we’re going to see until the first snap on Saturday. There are a lot of ORs to decipher in this group, especially on the right side of the line. I think Jones will get the nod at RT, but could see him being moved inside. Auamavae-Laulu could also play outside, as could Jaramillo. The line has been hard to get a feel for in practice thus far. Probably the least confident I feel about any position group.
Defensive Line
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Depth Chart:
Defensive End — Brandon Dorlus // Treven Ma’ae
Defensive Tackle — Keyon Ware-Hudson OR Popo Auamavae OR Casey Rogers
Nose Tackle — Taki Taimani OR Jordon Riley
My Prediction: Brandon Dorlus has clearly locked up a starting spot on the defensive line, but there are a lot of moving pieces here, and a lot of depth to rotate through. In the end, I think that several players will see the field at each position in order to keep everyone fresh throughout the game. Dorlus, Ware-Hudson, and Taimani project to be mainstays, though.
Linebackers
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Depth Chart:
MAC — Noah Sewell / Jackson LaDuke
Money — Justin Flowe // Jeffrey Bassa
Jack — DJ Johnson OR Bradyn Swinson OR Mase Funa
My Prediction: We can feel confident that both Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe are going to be starters when all is said and done, but beyond that, there are some unknowns about who is going to be on the field. DJ Johnson and Bradyn Swinson will likely see a lot of playing time, and both Bassa and LaDuke figure to play a lot as well.
Cornerbacks
Depth Chart:
Boundary — Dontae Manning OR Trikweze Bridges
Field — Christian Gonzalez // Avante Dickerson
My Prediction: We can be pretty sure that Christian Gonzalez is going to be the No. 1 corner for the Ducks this year, but beyond that, there are question marks. We see Dontae Manning and Trikweze Bridges on the depth chart, but where and how often they will play is still unknown.
Safeties
Depth Chart:
Boundary — Bennett Williams OR Jamal Hill
Field — Bryan Addison OR Steve Stephens
Star — Jamal Hill OR Bennett Williams
My Prediction: If you notice the depth chart for both the boundary safety and star (or Nickel) safety positions, both Bennett Williams and Jamal Hill figure to be on the field together a lot. We will see who between Bryan Addison gets the final nod on Saturday, but Oregon has some good depth and talent in the deep secondary.
Special Teams
Depth Chart:
Field Goal — Camden Lewis // Andrew Boyle
Kick-Off — Andrew Boyle OR Alex Bales
Punter — Adam Barry // Ross James
Holder — Adam Barry // Ross James
Long-Snapper — Karsten Battles // Luke Basso
Kick-Return — Christian Gonzalez OR Bucky Irving OR Seven McGee OR Sean Dollars OR Noah Whittington
Punt-Return — Kris Hutson OR Chase Cota OR Seven McGee
My Prediction: Once again, a lot of unknowns with this group. Special Teams coordinator Joe Lorig told us last week that we wouldn’t know the starters until kickoff, and that seems to be true. I have a feeling it will be Lewis on FG, Boyles on Kick-Off, Barry at punter and holder, Battles at long-snapper. As for kick and punt-return, a rotation will be used once again.
