Oregon Ducks Defense Ready For 'Target On Our Back' In Big Ten Conference, Says Jeffrey Bassa

Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa is leading the Duck defense into their inaugural season in the Big Ten conference with the goal of winning the National Championship. In an exclusive interview, Bassa reveals how the Ducks are preparing for the likes of the reigning-National Champion Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (2) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

No one knows the Oregon Ducks defense better than senior linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, who runs the pre-snap defensive calls for the Ducks. According to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Bassa makes the Ducks defense tick with his unbelievable defensive intelligence to make the right play calls in an instant. 

The Oregon defense was one of the most-improved units in the nation last season with much thanks to Bassa. A top-10 defense in 2023, the Ducks’ will now face some of the most notoriously-tough teams in their inaugural season in the Big Ten conference. 

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (2) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Do the Ducks need to adjust to the physicality of the Big Ten?

“No. I really think that (Big Ten) teams are going to have to adjust to us, with our speed, and with how physical we are,” Bassa told Oregon SI’s Bri Amaranthus. 

“We have coach Lanning as our head coach,” Bassa told Amaranthus. “No doubt we're going to be physical, it’s the mentality of this team… At the end of the day, it's going to be mano-a-mano. Who wants it more?”

Oregon's 2024 roster contains dangerous perimeter speed at wide receiver and in the secondary, including receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart, transfer cornerback Jabbar Muhammad and safety Kobe Savage. The Ducks' speed is balanced with its aggressive offensive line, full of returners, and physical brand of a menacing defensive line that includes a literal huge addition in transfer defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell.

This offseason, Bassa has felt a different energy than before. Even without the pads on, at times, he’s even had to slow his team down a bit to ensure that everyone gets to fall camp healthy. 

Bassa preaches poise to his defense as newcomers in the Big Ten. 

“My defensive guys know that we have to come in ready to work every day because we're going to have a target on our back from last season - whether that's playing the team that we've seen last season or playing a new team this season,” Bassa told Amaranthus. 

Bassa is the leader of the defense, the head communicator to his team. This season, he is looking forward to utilizing in-helmet communication with his coaches, a new college football change for 2024. Bassa is already extremely comfortable with Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi in his ear. The trust runs deep with Bassa, as the coaching staff often asks what play Bassa wants to call to stop opposing offenses. 

No on knows the Oregon Duck offense better than Jeff Bassa, either. 

“I get tired of practicing against Jeff because he always calls out our plays because he studies so much,” said former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, current Denver Broncos rookie. “He knows exactly where to tell the guys where the ball is going. I think that’s a tribute to him, because he’s such a great leader. He took ownership of it, and that’s why he had such great success on the field.”

Bassa doesn’t react to doubters that raise concerns that Oregon could fall flat against the likes of the reigning-National Champion Michigan Wolverines or Ohio State Buckeyes. 

“It comes down to not letting outside noise affect us,” Bassa told Amaranthus. “I think that's something that we do great as a program… If we win a game or we lose a game, we're going to go back on Sunday and look at the film and see what we did wrong first before we look at the things that we did good.” 

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10), linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (2) and head coach Dan Lanning lift the offensive MVP, defensive MVP and championship trophy after a victory in the 2024 Fiesta Bowl against the Liberty Flames at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Bassa and Lanning share some similar personality traits and approach the game with the same tedious and tactful approach. In fact, Bassa plays Madden the video game as if he was Lanning - something that “annoys his teammates,” says Bassa.

When the College Football 25 video game drops later this month, Bassa and Lanning have plans to battle - either in Lanning’s office or home - to see if Bassa can out-Lanning, coach Lanning. 

While Bassa channels Lanning on the video game, on the field he studies the game of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, Cleveland Browns’ Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Patrick Queen.

Bassa elected to return for his senior season instead of taking his talents to the NFL. In his final season at Oregon, Bassa’s draft buzz is beginning to intensify. Recently named as the “most underrated” NFL Draft prospect for Oregon, but Bassa hopes to move past that title. 

“I really wouldn't say so much that it feels good to me because I feel like I'm not underrated,” Bassa told Amaranthus. “But at the same time, I always have this saying in my head… You're not slept on; You just haven't done anything yet. So I'm always striving to get better, chasing more greatness, striving for more.”

From Salt Lake City, Utah, Bassa switched from safety to linebacker in 2022. Last season, Bassa finished second on the Ducks with 72 total tackles including 3.5 for loss and a high ranking from PFF. A major highlight from 2023 was Bassa’s a pick-six interception that sealed the Ducks’ win over Texas Tech football. 

This offseason, Bassa worked on his pass rush while helping his defense growing more mature, better bonded and buying into the program more.

What does he strive for in the 2024 college football season?

“A National Championship,” Bassa told Amaranthus. “And that starts by going 1-0 every week.”