Football: Defensive Performance Review
| Play Type | Plays | Success Rate | Explosive Rate | Adj. YPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush | 294 | 50.00% | 8.50% | 4.11 |
| Pass | 325 | 60.62% | 12.92% | 5.52 |
| Total | 619 | 55.57% | 10.82% | 4.79 |
Compared tolast year's squad the 2025 team held steady in rush efficiency defense, lost ground in defending explosive passes, but gained ground in other categories. Based on the film review, I think some of the improvement in explosive rush defense and adjusted yards per play were a product of the schedule. Oregon faced more stereotypically Big Ten offenses this season (especially with Penn State's run game falling off of a cliff) that struggle with explosive rushing. While this year's secondary had a higher athletic ceiling than last year's, there were issues with safety play in deep zone coverage that led to explosive passes even from teams who rarely hit such plays that led to the downturn in explosive passing defense.
For every rush play the defense faces I give positive grades for players who affect the offense's ability to succeed. This could be defeating a block, getting backfield penetration, helping out on the tackle, forcing the runner to redirect into other defenders, etc. Negative grades are assigned if a defender does not complete their assignment and that failure helps the play succeed. This includes getting moved by a double team, getting stuck on a block, playing the wrong gap assignment, missing a tackle, etc. The ratio shown in the following chart is the % of all grades that are negative, computed as: negatives/(positives + negatives).
| Player | Positive Plays | Negative Plays | Rush D Error Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - B. Alexander | 59 | 22 | 27.16% |
| 4 - B. Finney | 26 | 3 | 10.34% |
| 7 - I. Obidgwu | 8 | 5 | 38.46% |
| 9 - B. Purchase | 21 | 13 | 38.24% |
| 10 - M. Uiagalelei | 54 | 26 | 32.50% |
| 21 - B. Flowers | 28 | 24 | 46.15% |
| 22 - J. Canady | 18 | 4 | 18.18% |
| 26 - D. Jackson | 15 | 30 | 66.67% |
| 28 - B. Boettcher | 77 | 58 | 42.96% |
| 29 - A. Porter | 9 | 5 | 35.71% |
| 31 - D. Thieneman | 41 | 32 | 43.84% |
| 44 - T. Tuioti | 62 | 23 | 27.06% |
| 50 - T. Gray | 13 | 17 | 56.67% |
| 52 - A. Washington | 64 | 24 | 27.27% |
| 54 - J. Mixon | 43 | 18 | 29.51% |
| 99 - T. Green | 22 | 18 | 45.00% |
In the past I have done a similar computation to make a chart of pass rush effectiveness, or simply mentioned who had the most positive grades as a pass rusher on my tally sheet. I now think it is more informative to show what percentage of passing plays defenders disrupted the offense with pressure. As such, I have tallied the number of positive" pass defense snaps I have for each front line player, then divided by the number of pass plays defended by the Ducks this season. This ratio shows the percentage of passes defended where the player generated pressure over the course of the entire year. Note that this is not the same as if the denominator were how many snaps each player was on the field for.
| Player | Positive Plays | Pressure Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - B. Alexander | 21 | 6.46% |
| 9 - B. Purchase | 12 | 3.69% |
| 10 - M. Uiagalelei | 65 | 20.00% |
| 29 - A. Porter | 4 | 1.23% |
| 32 - N. Wyatt | 9 | 2.77% |
| 42 - A. Breland | 8 | 2.46% |
| 44 - T. Tuioti | 53 | 16.31% |
| 50 - T. Gray | 1 | 0.31% |
| 52 - A. Washington | 28 | 8.62% |
| 99 - T. Green | 4 | 1.23% |
For players who have coverage responsibilities on passing plays I compiled the performance metrics when their receiver was targeted.
| Player | Targets | Success Rate | Explosive Rate | Adj. YPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 - B. Finney | 42 | 59.52% | 23.81% | 7.65 |
| 5 - Th. Johnson | 28 | 53.57% | 14.29% | 7.35 |
| 7 - I. Obidgwu | 28 | 42.86% | 21.43% | 7.26 |
| 21 - B. Flowers | 29 | 41.38% | 27.59% | 9.93 |
| 22 - J. Canady | 36 | 55.56% | 22.22% | 6.14 |
| 26 - D Jackson | 19 | 57.89% | 5.26% | 3.36 |
| 28 - B. Boettcher | 45 | 55.56% | 6.67% | 4.86 |
| 31 - D. Thieneman | 39 | 51.28% | 25.64% | 9.16 |
| 54 - J. Mixon | 36 | 75.00% | 2.78% | 3.50 |
Starters DT #1 Bear Alexander and DT #52 A'Mauri Washington both posted excellent rush error rates and significant pass pressure rates for interior defenders. Washington took a major leap this year as a starter compared his performance last year as a rotational player. Though Alexander took some time to earn the staff's full trust he displayed all of the play-making ability his USC tape had showcased. Backup DT #50 Tionne Gray had the worst overall performance of the primary rotational players in the middle, but he was playing with added weight this season and his film improved over the course of the year. While rotational DT #99 Terrance Green's numbers are not in the same class as the starters, they are not far off what Washington's were last year. Both Green and Gray left in the transfer portal after the season, and incoming transfers will need to make up the depth behind the starters. One other possibility is DT #42 Aydin Breland, who also posted an impressive pressure rate given his small number of opportunities in the racecar" package on passing downs, but is listed at 304 lb. and could earn increased playing time.
On the edge both DE #10 Mateo Uiagalelei and OLB #44 Tatum Tuioti showed incremental improvement in their run defense grades. Tuioti had a greater impact as a pass rusher this year, while Uiagalelei's sack numbers dipped. This coincided with an overall drop in the sack numbers for Oregon this season, which has a lot to do with different offensive schemes based on hythloday's analysis of Oregon's 2024 and 2025 opponents. Uiagaelelei continued to be the most productive pass rusher, despite spending more time in a 3-point stance this year as opposed to a hybrid OLB like last season. Given he was only used in 3rd-and-long situations, the pressure rate for OLB #32 Nasir Wyatt's is quite eye-popping and his speed flashes on film. It's possible he finds increased playing time with departure of OLB #9 Blake Purchase. I always thought Purchase was a better pure pass rusher than Tuioti (just on the field less often), but with both playing off-ball more often in 2025 the staff may be most valuing versatility at the strong side OLB position. It is likely most of Purchase's snaps will go to a transfer in 2026.
Injuries to a number of highly rated redshirt freshman limited the inside linebacker rotation to LB #28 Bryce Boettcher, LB #54 Jerry Mixon, and LB #26 Devon Jackson. Boettcher stepped into an expanded role as the primary green dot" defender with additional coverage responsibilities with no loss in effectiveness. Mixon's numbers, both in coverage and against the run, actually grade out better than Boettcher. He was often given simpler assignments though, so I am curious how he would perform if he replaces Boettcher as senpai" in 2026. Jackson's performance was a major downgrade from what he achieved in 2024 before a Spring injury. The staff seem to have confidence in him, but on film he routinely hesitates a beat longer than other defenders before diagnosing the play. Whether he is overtaken by one of the two remaining redshirts underclassmen, or even a later transfer, remains to be seen.
The entire secondary was turned over after 2024. At boundary safety DB #21 Flowers cemented himself as the starter (his backup DB #2 Kingston Lopa left in the portal). His numbers are the weakest of the three primary safeties, but he showcased a high athletic ceiling on film and as a R-Fr. has the potential to substantially improve next season. The biggest pleasant surprise on defense (possibly on the entire team) was transfer STAR safety DB #22 Jadon Canady. Despite his small stature, he showed a complete recovery from a gruesome injury earlier in his career as an asset against both the run and the pass. In addition to defending slot receivers as a traditional nickel, he would rotate to field safety on a regular basis depending on the coverage and was even used as a blitzer. His versatility, his greatest strength when I reviewed his film from Ole Miss, was a great asset in this complex role. His backup DB #0 Daylen Austin also served as the dime back and showed enough promise in rotational play I thought he would be Canady's heir apparent, but he left in the portal so the future at this position is unclear.
Transfer DB #31 Dillon Thieneman was an integral part of the defense this season, but his numbers show all the inconsistency that hythloday had found from the tape of his time at Purdue. Thieneman split his time between field safety and an alignment 10 yards from the line of scrimmage in the exact middle of the field. This latter deployment allowed him to serve as an extra linebacker against the run or bail to the deep middle of the field in zone coverage. While he possessed the speed and strength to perform both roles, he too often took poor angles to the ball carrier and had poor spatial awareness in coverage. This resulted in his poor run error rate and coverage metrics. He didn't often play man coverage, but when he did he was effective enough that I had thought he might actually do better lining up over slot receivers when not in his quasi-linebacker spot. His declaration for the NFL means such speculation is now moot. I suspect incoming Minnesota transfer DB Koi Perich was brought in as Thieneman's replacement, but whether he will be used in exact same manner is unknown.
True freshman CB #4 Brandon Finney was a revelation at corner, having the best performance of any member of the secondary. His high explosive rate can be attributed to the fact that he was frequently left one-on-one with the opposition's best receiver, meaning if he did lose a rep it would often be for a big gain. I hadn't realized until I ran the numbers just how active he had been against the run as well. Veteran transfer CB #5 Theron Johnson rotated with first time starter R-Fr. Ify Obidegwu at the other corner spot. Johnson was solid, though had athletic limitations and was less active against the run. Obidegwu, much like Flowers, had his struggles but his ceiling remains high and he has the opportunity to refine his game with a full year of experience under his belt. True freshman CB #14 Na'eem Offord also rotated in during meaningful play, but didn't have enough entries on my tally sheet for analysis. Finney has one spot locked down in 2026 while Obidegwu, Offord, and incoming Ohio State transfer CB Aaron Scott Jr. will compete for playing time opposite him.