Oregon Ducks are sound at every position on defense, testing USC
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It is hard enough to challenge a defense that has an imposing defensive line. What makes a defense even more of a nightmare is complementing the defensive line with a lockdown secondary. That is exactly what the OregonDucks might have this season.
In a recent article, Bjorn Bergstrom displays the talent the Ducks will have in their secondary with a top ten caliber defender at corner in Brandon Finney:
“Finney was four spots lower, coming in at No. 8.
four-star recruit in the 2025 class, Finney wasn’t expected to command a starting role. But that’s exactly what he did, racking up 42 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack. The Maryland native made some of the biggest plays of the season, including a fourth-quarter pick-six against the Indiana Hoosiers in Week 7. In the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech, he picked off two passes and forced a fumble, coming home with the game’s Defensive MVP award.
“The 6-foot-2, 203-pound cover man didn’t allow a catch in eight of his 15 starts and surrendered just 12 catches on 37 targets last season,” Lederman and Olsen wrote. “According to ESPN Research, Finney finished with the second-best contested target rate (73%) in FBS last season. Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi trusted him enough to let him play 111 snaps in press coverage, fifth most in the Big Ten.”
That trust will certainly continue in 2026 with Finney having proven to be a dominant defender worthy of ranking in the top 10 in college football.”
Right where the Trojans are consistently the strongest in the receiver position, the Ducks have the talent to take that away with Finney. If the Trojans want to win that game in Week 5, Tanook Hines and Terrell Anderson will have to win that matchup and get open consistently.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Oregon Ducks are sound at every position on defense, testing USC
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