Oregon Spring Preview: Ducks Searching for a New Alpha at Cornerback

The Ducks have a talented group but need someone to step up with Christian Gonzalez likely a first-round pick in next month's NFL Draft.

Max Torres | Mar 14, 2023

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Oregon Ducks

Oregon's cornerback room is a bit of an unknown heading into spring practice, which begins on Thursday.

Last season, Dan Lanning and the rest of the defensive staff could ask Christian Gonzalez to lock down one side of the field each week, but you weren't sure what you were going to get from the rest of the group.

Now he's slated to go in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and Demetrice Martin needs a new alpha in his room.

Trikweze Bridges :: Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Trikweze Bridges in coverage against the Stanford Cardinal.

Dontae Manning :: Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Dontae Manning goes through warmups before facing the Georgia Bulldogs.

Khyree Jackson :: © Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Khyree Jackson battles for the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Jahlil Florence :: Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Jahlil Florence played the most of any 2022 defensive back signee as a true freshman.

Avante Dickerson / © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Avante Dickerson defends Oklahoma wide receiver Mario Williams in the 2021 Alamo Bowl.

Darren Barkins :: © Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Darren Barkins runs with the ball in Oregon spring football practice.

Khamari Terrell :: Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Khamari Terrell (14) goes through drills with Jamal Hill.

Cole Martin / Cole Martin on Twitter (@colemartin21)

Cole Martin signed with the Ducks as one of the most explosive athletes in the 2023 class.

Daylen Austin / Daylen Austin (@DaylenAustin4 on Twitter)

Daylen Austin reunites with his former coach Rashad Wadood and is looking to dominate in Eugene.

Solomon Davis / Solomon Davis on Instagram (@pr6mis)

Solomon Davis flew under the radar as one of Oregon's late signings in 2023 after previously being committed to Arizona.

Jalil Tucker / Jalil Tucker on Instagram (@jaliltuckerr)

Jalil Tucker was one of two speedy cornerbacks the Ducks signed out of Lincoln High School in San Diego.

Trikweze Bridges is one of the most experienced defensive backs on the roster. That said, he hasn't exactly been productive since moving down from his natural position of safety in 2021.

I question how comfortable he truly is at cornerback, but the staff will turn to him as a leader in the secondary.

Dontae Manning enters 2023 with big expectations on his shoulders. He's the highest-rated cornerback to ever sign with the Ducks but he's yet to really break through.

That said, he battled through injuries in 2020 and 2021 before putting together his best season yet and showing flashes of greatness in 2022. He's one of the most athletic and twitchy defensive backs Oregon has and the Ducks need him to become a more consistent defender.

Jahlil Florence carved out a nice role at Oregon during his true freshman season and he should pick up where he left off this spring after appearing in eight games. He's one of the faster defensive backs on the roster so he shouldn't have much trouble keeping up with receivers he'll face this year.

He's a solid fit for Lanning and Lupoi's defense at 6'1", 191 pounds.

Avante Dickerson and Darren Barkins have both been at Oregon for two years, but neither have seen the field much outside of special teams. They're both pretty slight of frame, but perhaps Barkins brings some more upside because of his speed.

Khyree Jackson is one of two transfers the Ducks added from Alabama, and he fits into Lanning's mold of taller, lengthy cornerbacks at 6'3", 198 pounds. If he can be half as good as Gonzalez was in his one year with Oregon I think the staff would be pretty happy with that.

Jalil Tucker signed with Florence in the 2022 class as a dynamic duo out of San Diego (Calif.) Lincoln. He redshirted and should be an interesting player in this competition that should be fairly open after the group struggle last season.

Now we're left with some early enrollees, of which Oregon has three.

Cole Martin arrived in January after the Adidas All-American bowl and there's reason to be excited about him. He's smaller than most of the other cornerbacks at 5'10", 175 pounds, but he brings elite athleticism and a crazy level of twitchiness to the room.

He plays with a lot of heart and starred all over the field for Basha, playing a crucial role in their run deep into the Arizona State playoffs. He'll get to play for his Dad Demetrice Martin in what is a pretty special opportunity.

Daylen Austin joins the Ducks this spring after being named player of the year in the Moore League at Long Beach Poly. The one-time LSU commit reunites with his former high school coach Rashad Wadood in Eugene, which should only make his development that much more fun to watch.

He's got great size and speed and should be in the mix as a true freshman.

Solomon Davis is the last scholarship player we'll be including in this preview. He flew under the radar during his time as an Arizona commit, but the Ducks moved quickly once he landed on their radar.

He was a do-it-all player for Charter Oak that was integral to their success on defense and brings some good polish with him to Eugene.

Cornerback should be one of the best position battles to watch shake out in spring not only because of how important it is, but the injection of talent from the 2023 class.

Oregon spring preview: Offensive Line a mixture of returners and newcomers

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Published Mar 14, 2023

MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.