DJ James Ready for new Role as CB2 in 2021

The rising junior cornerback is expected to fill the gap left by Deommodore Lenoir.

The Oregon secondary has seen a legion of players leave for the NFL Draft in the last two seasons, including Deommodore Lenoir and Thomas Graham Jr at cornerback. Due to these departures, players like junior DJ James are on the cusp of a starting spot in the secondary.

“I’m excited for the opportunity,” said James, who will likely make his first career start for Oregon in 2021 after playing behind Lenoir for two years. “I’m ready for it.”

James flashed his potential in the second half of last season, most notably recording a career-high four tackles and a pass breakup in the Pac-12 Championship Game against USC. He said that his play down the stretch gave him confidence to carry into the offseason.

DJ James (12) breaks up a pass intended for USC's Drake London (15) in the Pac-12 Championship Game in Los Angeles.  / © Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

“That had me excited,” he said. “Just getting more opportunities and more playing time to make plays gave me confidence as a player.”

Lenoir’s decision to return to Oregon last season helped James as well. The Fiesta Bowl — Lenoir’s final game at Oregon — was his 34th consecutive start, and he passed along plenty of experience and wisdom to James.

“Having him as someone I can talk to or call whenever I want just to talk to him was great,” James said. “That helped me learn as a player.”

James switched his jersey number from #12 to #0 ahead of next season, due in large part to the influence of Lenoir, who wore #0 last season.

“He was somebody that I looked up to,” James said. “I feel #0 was a great number for me to get in.”

As the intensity of Oregon spring football increases, so does the team’s camaraderie. James said that the “brotherhood” of the team has caught his eye in spring.

“Everyone’s having fun and trying to get better for each other,” James said.

The depth of the cornerback position will look much different, with junior Mykael Wright and James getting most of the reps. Redshirt freshman Trikweze Bridges is the most experienced backup, playing in all seven games last season.

After Bridges, there are a lot of new faces in the cornerback room. 2020 5-star recruit Dontae Manning will have a chance to make an impact in 2021 after playing in just one game last year, and freshmen Jaylin Davies and DonJ’rael Brooks fill out the rest of the depth chart.

Despite the youth in the cornerback group and on the team, James has noticed how badly the team wants to get better. When asked about what excited him for this season, James offered a two-word response:

“The hunger.”

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