A look at the recruits who will play in the defensive front for Oregon
Dan Lanning continues to build an impressive defensive front on the recruiting trail. Depending on NFL draft decisions from key players like Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei, there could be an opportunity for one big recruit in particular to make an instant impact. And unless Bryce Boettcher can somehow find another year of eligibility (maybe for basketball this time?), someone needs to fill some important shoes at linebacker.
Composite Rating: 5* – 0.9872 – 26 Overall – 5 Edge
Highschool: St. Paul’s Episcopal (Mobile, AL)
Oregon addresses a potential position of need with this powerful, high-upside edge defender, a dense and explosive athlete who brings immediate physicality to the front seven. Already carrying 240 pounds with ease, he generates pressure from multiple alignments using a heavy punch, rare leg drive, and the ability to play through contact. His prep career featured extensive positional versatility, with snaps on the ball, off the ball, and even in space, reflecting a defender comfortable impacting the game in a variety of ways.
Production has never been an issue, as he leaves high school with more than 40 career sacks and consistent backfield disruption across three varsity seasons. While his pass rush is currently driven by power, his athletic profile and body control suggest significant upside as he learns to chain moves and add counters at the college level. Despite his size, he shows impressive range on the edge, changing direction smoothly and carrying speed down the line of scrimmage.
At Oregon, he projects as a difference-maker at the point of attack for a College Football Playoff contender. His ability to operate from both two- and three-point stances fits seamlessly into the Ducks’ defensive scheme, and his combination of strength, explosiveness, and production gives him a realistic opportunity to contribute early as a designated pass rusher while developing into an every-down edge presence.
Composite Rating: 4* – 0.9743- 57 Overall – 7 DL
Highschool: Willamette (Eugene, OR)
Oregon adds needed size and upside to the interior defensive line with Tony Cumberland, a budding force whose combination of burst, power, and quickness makes him disruptive in the middle. He first emerged on the national radar as a freshman in Arizona before relocating to Oregon, where he elevated his play significantly as a senior after reshaping his body. At over 6-foot-4 with a frame that should comfortably carry close to 300 pounds, Cumberland already looks the part of a Power Four interior lineman.
Cumberland shows strong activity at the point of attack, using his initial get-off and leg drive to close run lanes and work off blocks after first contact. He moves with impressive balance for his size, sliding laterally in pursuit and changing directions smoothly, and he consistently looks to affect passing lanes by getting his hands up. While limited data makes projecting his ultimate ceiling more challenging, his physical traits and versatility suggest a potential difference-maker who can line up in multiple interior roles as he develops within Oregon’s defensive front.
Composite Rating: 4* – 0.9226- 219 Overall – 12 LB
Highschool: Cherry Creek (Englewood, CO)
Oregon adds a fast-rising and versatile linebacker in Braylon Hodge, one of the top defensive prospects to emerge from the Mountain region. A true three-down defender, Hodge is a well-rounded linebacker who plays fast, diagnoses quickly, and consistently runs to the football. He shows physicality at the point of attack with the ability to generate knock-back, while also possessing the athleticism and fluidity to hold up in space.
Hodge is comfortable in coverage, with the range to work down the field and the strength to match up against tight ends, along with the agility to stay with running backs. His solid frame offers plenty of room to add functional weight without sacrificing his quick-twitch movement skills. Scheme-versatile and capable of playing inside or outside, he fits multiple linebacker roles and projects as an every-down option at the college level.
A late bloomer who has steadily climbed the recruiting ranks, Hodge elevated his profile through strong showings at the Polynesian Bowl Combine and Under Armour Camp in Utah, then capped it with a productive senior season on a state championship team. Beyond the on-field traits, he brings leadership, work ethic, and intangibles that point to long-term value in Oregon’s program, with the makeup of a future leader in the Ducks’ defense.
Composite Rating: 4* – 0.8993 – 362 Overall – 24 LB
Highschool: Ventura (Ventura, CA)
One of the top linebacker prospects in the country and brings plenty of positional versatility to the table. Long, athletic 6-foot-3, 215 pound frame and shows the ability to play inside or outside ‘backer at the next level. Might be best suited as a will ‘backer because of his athleticism, ability to play in space and strong cover skills. Has the toughness, physicality, range and hitting ability to play inside as well and can make plays sideline to sideline or fill the hole with excellent stopping power.
Shows knock back ability at the point of contact and explodes through opposing ball carriers. Can break down in space and has excellent closing speed. Impressed at multiple 7v7 events this off-season showing his ability to be sticky in coverage and make plays on the football. Has some nastiness to him, plays with an edge and his motor is always going. Strong off the field worth ethic, big weight room guy and should easily be able to pack on weight and play closer to 240 pounds or so in a few years. Projects as an early college contributor and has an NFL ceiling.
Composite Rating: 4* – 0.9036 – 315 Overall – 31 Edge
Highschool: Lincoln (San Diego, CA)
Tavizon is a rocked out 6-foot-3, 240 pound edge with tremendous raw power and strength. He can manhandle opposing linemen at the HS level and routinely runs right through an opposing tackle on his way to the quarterback. He shows good burst getting off the ball, has heavy hands and can either walk back an opposing tackle or simply toss and disengage with ease.
He has good closing speed and can chase down quarterbacks and running backs from behind. He’s stout in run support and uses his length to set the edge, find the ball carrier and make the play. He flashes a tremendous motor and we really like the relentless style he plays with. He’s a highly productive player and has a certain toughness and physicality that sets him a part from other players. Lincoln has high major prospects every year but Tavizon could be their best one in the last decade.
Composite Rating: 3* – 0.8711 – 1007 Overall – 96 Edge
Highschool: St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
Dutch Horisk is a 6-3, 240-pound Edge from Bellflower, CA. He played high school at a Southern Californian football factory St. John Bosco, the same high school that produced Matayo Uiagalelei. What separates Dutch is his dawg-ed-ness and has an excellent motor. Horisk’s path to playing time will depend on his ability to develop the finer points of his technique as he puts on weight to be a future end in Oregon’s Mint front.
Category: General Sports
