Bryce Boettcher, ripped and ready, aims for another Big Ten title

Phil Steele's preseason magazine is out and one of the features that tells the most about the upcoming Big Ten season are the position rankings at linebacker.

This year marks 30 years that Steele has been doing the magazine, known widely as the preseason bible of college football, where many fans go to "bone up" for a new season.

Steele ranks Oregon's Bryce Boettcher as a first-team all-conference linebacker.

The former walk-on from South Eugene High School has logged 40 games in a Duck uniform and last season he posted a career-high 94 tackles, named to the All-Big-Ten second team by the league's coaches.

In 2024 Boettcher won the Burlsworth Trophy as the nation's most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on. Now he's a full-time football player and a scholarship player. It's time for him to patrol the Oregon defense like a Gold Glove centerfielder.

If Boettcher truly plays like an all-league inside linebacker, coupled with intense, ballhawking safety Dillon Thieneman, the transfer from Purdue, the Ducks could have their best defense in a long time. Especially since the strongest unit on the team may be the defensive line, anchored by Matayo Uiagalelei and A'Mauri Washington.

The Ducks are deep up front, and big. That frees up Boettcher to roam and make plays, to use his athleticism, speed and savvy to be intimidating and effective.

This season he has the advantage of not dividing his time and training between football and baseball. In the spring he told reporters, "It's definitely 100% football focused right now and just developing myself as a football player."

He still hits the batting cages once in a while because he misses it, but for the first time in his athletic career he gets to laser-target his exceptional energy in one direction. "I'm absolutely football focused right now," he said.

He looks forward to having a season to live in the moment, work on developing as a football player.

Boettcher's experience, coupled with his leadership and singular focus, opens up exciting possibilities for the Ducks. "I'm a lead-by-example guy," he said.

This season he'll be the green dot, the guy with the in-helmet headset communicating with coaches before the snap of the ball, the role filled by Jeffrey Bassa last year. Boettcher's going to enter the season with a football-honed body and a clear mission. He understands the assignment.

The Ducks have a leader at every level of the defense, more talent and more cohesion than any defense in recent memory. If Boettcher is ready to be a first team all-league linebacker, this could be a playoff-worthy defense, a great blend of young talent and hardcore veteran leadership, lead-by-example guys.

The idea of Boettcher ripped and ready should get Duck fans excited for a new season. It's just 52 days away. On July 23, Uiagalelei, Boettcher and Kenyon Sadiq represent the team at Big Ten Media Day.

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