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'I like the guys we have;' Dan Lanning Doubles Down on Oregon Linebacker Depth as Ducks Conclude Spring Football

Max Torres Author Profileby:Max Torres•04/29/25•

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Dan Lanning
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning in the 2025 spring game. (Photo by: Max Unkrich/ScoopDuckOn3)

With Jeffrey Bassa off to play for the Kansas City Chiefs and Jestin Jacobs invited to Miami Dolphins rookie mini camp, Oregon will be without two of its most experienced linebackers from last season.

That’s led many Duck fans to question whether or not Dan Lanning and Brian Michalowski would look to bolster the linebacker depth with a player or two from the transfer portal.

After Saturday’s spring game, Oregon’s head coach left no doubt that the Ducks won’t pursue any linebackers in the transfer portal. He even expressed some excitement about a younger player that could be ready to take the next step in his development.

“We won’t pursue anybody in the portal at linebacker,” Lanning told reporters on Saturday. “I feel really good about our linebacker group, I like the guys we have. Jerry’s (Mixon) a guy that’s worked extremely hard, done an unbelievable job, and continues to improve. When he keeps that his focus, he’s really going to be a guy that can help us. But there’s a lot of guys in that room that I think can play winning football, and it’s just it comes with experience.”

Mixon and other young linebackers like Dylan Williams are a few of the names that could be in line to contribute on Oregon’s defense next season.

“When you talk about, really our pillars on defense, we start with relentless effort,” the head coach said. “So you gotta have guys are running sideline to sideline. Linebacker’s important job is getting everybody else lined up. And that’s a really big piece of it. You saw Jeff go to the Chiefs today, that’s a big piece of that. He was a great communicator. So these guys can grow from a communication standpoint, but when they have relentless effort, when they attack the ball, when they play for the guy next to him, those are going to be separating factors.”

Oregon redshirt junior Devon Jackson got a lot more snaps under his belt last season, but he did not play in the spring game. True freshman Gavin Nix, who the Ducks flipped from Miami last December, was on campus as an early enrollee and has jumped right into the fire.

Michalowski is confident he can field another talented unit this fall and that process starts with the players already on Oregon’s roster.

“I take a lot of pride in developing guys,” he said this spring. “I think that’s evident through Jamal Hill, just one year at linebacker, now being an NFL linebacker. Jeff Bassa, was a safety and he grew tremendously and then Bryce (Boettcher). I feel like I’m really good at developing guys.

“If I’m having to go to the portal, what’s that say about me as a coach when it comes to development? I take a lot of pride in building from the bottom up. I think it’s position with as much leadership that we have to have and experience in communicating, that’s the best way to do it at the inside linebacker position. The young guys have done just a phenomenal job. I spend more time with them. Every morning I’m getting ’em up before the team meeting, getting bonus meetings with ’em. They’re hungry and they’re learning really well. So excited about their growth.”

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