Predicting Ducks' defensive depth chart ahead of Oregon Spring Game

Over a dozen spring football practices are in the books for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks , and the team is now getting set to take the field in Autzen Stadium for the annual spring game on Saturday afternoon. This will be the third official scrimmage for Oregon this spring, but the first played in front of fans and a live television audience. While this is nothing new for the majority of the Ducks' returning roster , it will be a new experience for many young players fighting for spots on the depth chart.

With several months of offseason still ahead, nothing will be set in stone as far as starting spots go following the spring game, but this will offer up a great opportunity to see who is fighting for snaps and where the depth chart stands at this point. Though we haven't been able to see any practices or scrimmages thus far, talking to players and coaches over the past several weeks has given us a look at who is playing where and which young players are stepping up and potentially grabbing top spots on the depth chart. Here is our prediction of how things will look when we see them on Saturday.

Nose Tackle Starter: Bear Alexander Backup: Matthew Johnson Other Names to Know: Jerome Simmons / Aydin Breland Analysis: Bear Alexander returns for another year and will slot in as the starter once again. Behind him, the depth gets a little bit interesting and hard to forecast this early on. Some early names to look at, though, are Jerome Simmons, Matt Johnson, and Aydin Breland, who can likely slot in across the defensive front.

Defensive Tackle Starter: A'Mauri Washington Backup: D'Antre Robinson Other Names to Know: Matt Johnson / Aydin Breland Analysis: A'Mauri Washington, a projected first-round draft pick in 2025, is back for another year, which is massive for the Ducks. Much like the nose tackle spot, though, things get a bit unclear behind him. With the mass of transfers out at this position, it's unclear who will be his backup.