Checking in with the Oregon Ducks LB room ahead of the 2025 season

USA Today

2 days ago

We are less than 50 days away from the start of the 2025 college football season, and fewer than two weeks stand between us and the beginning of the Oregon Ducks' fall camp getting off the ground in Eugene. While coaches and players wrap up their final couple of offseason weeks, we're ready to jump back into things and take a deep dive into what's set to take place at Autzen Stadium this year.
The Ducks are coming off of an incredible season that saw a 12-0 regular season, a Big Ten Championship, and the No. 1 seed in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The offseason brought significant roster turnover as Oregon sent a program record 10 players into the 2025 NFL draft; however, those players have been replaced by a young yet incredibly talented group of players ready to uphold the standard in Eugene.
Will they be able to complete the job? Expectations are high, but it won't be an easy task.
Over the next few weeks, many questions will be asked, and a significant number of them will be answered. Once we get a look at things during fall camp, we will be able to predict more accurately how things shape up. However, we already have our depth chart projections for offense and defense from spring. As we continue our preview of the 2025 season, leading up to the kick-off vs. Montana State on August 30, let's take a deep dive, position by position.
Previous Position Previews
Now let's take a closer look at the linebackers as we prepare for fall camp.
Overall Oregon Ducks Linebacker Check-In
When it comes to departing production, the linebackers lost quite a bit this past offseason with both Jeffrey Bassa and Jestin Jacobs graduating. Fortunately, Bryce Boettcher was granted another year of eligibility, so he will return as one of the top LBs in the conference, but alongside him, there is a big need for players to step up.
Guys like Devon Jackson, Brayden Platt, Dylan Williams, Jerry Mixon, and Kamar Mothudi all have a great opportunity to have breakout seasons, but they've got some pressure resting on their shoulders. After the spring football season, many thought that Oregon could dip into the transfer portal to add an LB, but Dan Lanning squashed that idea by stating in no uncertain terms that the Ducks would not be adding to the room.
Now it's time for his players to back that decision up.
Departing Oregon Ducks Linebackers
Oregon Career Stats: 55 games, 236 tackles, 14 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 3 INTs, 1 pick six, 2 forced fumbles
Analysis: When Tyler Shough's errant pass magnetized its way into Jeffrey Bassa's hands in September 2023, sealing the Ducks' win in Lubbock. Bassa was immortalized in Oregon legend forever, but his impact on this program began long before that. As skilled as he is, Bassa's eyes and voice are just as powerful, and for the last two seasons, he's served as the nexus of the Ducks defense.
Oregon Career Stats: 21 games, 61 tackles, 5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT
Analysis: Jestin Jacobs spent just two years at Oregon, and injuries made those two seasons even shorter, but in the time he was able to play, Jacobs was a key player for the Ducks. In 2023, Jacobs' midseason debut gave Oregon much needed solidty in the middle of the field, and in 2024, Jacobs size helped the Ducks craft one of the toughest defenses in conference lauded for its physicality.
Returning Oregon Ducks Linebackers
Oregon Career Stats: 40 games, 133 tackles, 11 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Analysis: The most exciting news in the linebacker room this offseason is that Bryce Boettcher will be back for the Ducks in 2025. Boettcher, who has come a long way from his days as a walk-on linebacker coming from the Oregon baseball team, was granted an eligibility waiver by the NCAA since he's only played three seasons of football (he's out of baseball eligibility). Last season, Boettcher blossomed into one of the best all-around linebackers and athletes in college football, and don't expect his improvement to fall off next season, because I don't think we've glimpsed his ceiling yet.
Oregon Career Stats: 31 games, 65 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Analysis: Boettcher was the Ducks' best linebacker last year, but the most improved was certainly Devon Jackson. In his third season last fall, the game seemed to slow down for Jackson, which let him use his incomprehensible speed and strength to his massive advantage, becoming a top linebacker in the blink of an eye. With a full year of first-team reps under his belt, expect Jackson to be even better in 2025.
Oregon Career Stats: 19 games, 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Analysis: Besides Boettcher and Jackson, Jerry Mixon is the most experienced inside linebacker on Oregon's defense, and although he hasn't played much in his two college years, expect to see much more of him next fall. Like Jackson, Mixon is incredibly athletic, and he's honed his football skills to become a solid all-around backer.
Oregon Career Stats: N/A
Analysis: Now we're getting into the developmental side of the Ducks' ILB room, but Dylan Williams, and the guys who follow him on this list, could already be Power 5 starters elsewhere. Williams was a freshman last fall, after coming to the Ducks as one of many 4-star linebacker commits in the class of 2024. Williams preserved his redshirt last year, so expect him to see some action this year, but the starting lineup is unlikely.
Oregon Career Stats: N/A
Analysis: After redshirting as a freshman in 2024, Kamar Mothudi is returning to Oregon after coming to the Ducks as a 4-star recruit a year ago. If that analysis sounds familiar, it's because Mothudi and Williams are in a very similar spot in their careers: talented but not quite out of the developmental stage yet.
Oregon Career Stats:
Analysis: I might as well just copy and paste the last two paragraphs, because Brayden Platt is in the same spot as Mothudi and Williams: 4-star, class of 2024, and very talented. This likely won't be his year to shine either, but all three of these guys will be difference makers for Oregon down the road.
Incoming Oregon Ducks Linebackers
247Sports Recruiting Profile: 4-star, No. 20 LB, No. 226 overall
Analysis: The Oregon Ducks' sole linebacker addition is Gavin Nix, a 4-star 2025 recruit from IMG Academy, who at 6 feet, 225 pounds, could make an impact for the Ducks' defense as early as next year. He won't be starting, but Nix is good enough already to see some game time, affording us a preview of what lies down the road for Oregon's defense.
Projecting Oregon Ducks Starting Linebackers
Projected Starters: Bryce Boettcher and Devon Jackson
Boettcher will undoubtedly be a starter for the Ducks, and assuming that Jackson is healthy, he should slot in there as well. Behind them, I expect guys like Mixon, Platt, and Williams to get into the rotation frequently.
Overall Oregon Ducks Linebacker Outlook
The Ducks have had some solid production at this position over the past couple of years, but it hasn't been their strongest point. There have been a couple of misses on the recruiting trail at LB this cycle as well, so it will be interesting to see how this group develops into the future. For this season, at the very least, though, there should be some confidence that they can hold their own and be a strong point of the defense.
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