Co-defensive coordinator Chris Hampton, defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi and Dan Lanning have done a phenomenal job recruiting the corner position, from both the high school ranks and the transfer portal.
Chris Hampton was named the national recruiter of the year by 247Sports for his work on the trail in the 2025 class, hauling in the best defensive back class the program has ever seen. In addition to the litany of talented freshmen, there are skilled corners who have been in the program for multiple seasons now.
This may be the hardest position group to project… Let’s give it a shot (ordered from most likely to start to least)
Sione Laulea - Redshirt Junior
Laulea joined the Ducks in 2024 as a four star JUCO prospect, and the third ranked overall JUCO player in the nation, according to 247Sports. He utilized a redshirt last season, but showed flashes of excellence in the four appearances he did have.
Despite what many Oregon fans would lead you to believe, height at the corner position is not everything, but it certainly is something.
Dan Lanning has spoken frequently about length and size being critical identifiers in the recruiting process for corners. Laulea fits the mold of the modern true outside corner, standing at 6 feet 4 inches, weighing 190 pounds.
The highlight of Sione’s season was his interception against Illinois, coming against their starting unit. He also had an impressive showing at Oregon State against the Beavers.
We haven’t seen enough of a majority of this list to truly determine who has the skill set to cover the Big Ten’s elite, but Laulea’s size, speed, and ball skills project him to be at least in heavy rotation with the defense’s first team.
Although it was on a very small sample size, Sione Laulea received a 85.1 coverage grade from PFF, an impressive score.
Jahlil Florence - Redshirt Junior
A former four star recruit, Florence quickly rose up the depth chart as a true freshman and saw significant snaps in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. However, his sophomore year was cut short due to a knee injury that required surgery.
Because of that injury, Florence missed the entirety of the 2024-25 season, including Oregon’s postseason matchups with Penn State and Ohio State. It will be a difficult task for Florence to come back and hit full stride right away, after missing well over a full season of games.
Despite the solid corner play throughout the season in 2024, it is difficult not to ponder on the impact Florence could have had in big spots in both of the previously mentioned games.
Florence’s role on the team banks completely on his health. He is a veteran presence who has been in the system, and played in the system more than many others on the defense. His return would be a huge plus for the Ducks.
Daylen Austin - Redshirt Sophomore (Nickel/Slot)
Daylen Austin appeared in all of Oregon’s games in 2024, and was the first nickel corner off the bench when Brandon Johnson would come off the field. Austin stands at 6 feet 1 inch, is solidly built, well equipped to be versatile in coverage, and able to dig his nose into the run.
The nickel corner is an important part of the Lupoi/Lanning/Hampton defense, used in a versatile role, and is expected to cover multiple positions.
While the outside corners are an incredibly difficult projection, and could have any number of different looks, Austin seems like an incredibly safe pick to fill in the nickel spot for the Ducks.
Daylen Austin’s 2025 availability comes with one major asterisk – He is awaiting trial for an incident he was indicted for in Eugene, stemming from April 15 2024. Austin’s trial is scheduled for August 14, per Haleigh Kochanski of the Eugene Register-Guard.
Theran Johnson - Redshirt Senior
The Northwestern transfer will be in his final year of eligibility. While he may not be the flashy choice to start in the defense, he provides lots of experience and a solid skill set to the Ducks defense.
At worst, Johnson will provide competitive depth for an uber-talented corner room. One thing we know for sure about transfers – Oregon and Dan Lanning rarely swing and miss on portal additions.
Surely Oregon fans will be up in arms because his height does not start with a “6”, but his tape does not lie, and his play should improve stepping into a much better defense, especially in the pass rushing department.
Ify Obidegwu - Redshirt Freshman
Obidegwu was one of the premier corners in the class of 2024, and the number one recruit in Maryland. He did not appear in a game for the Ducks as a true freshman, but rumblings from practice say that he has impressed behind the scenes.
Bryce Boettcher, the leader of Oregon's defense said about Ify: "He's been a freak, and I've always liked the way he brings it every single day at practice."
As a senior in high school, he totaled over 60 tackles, 14 pass deflections, and 3 interceptions, all while playing “one of the nations hardest schedules” said Andrew Ivins from 247Sports.
Obidegwu is an ideal size, over 6 feet, and around 200 pounds, per 247Sports. If he is ready to play, he could absolutely see snaps over Theran Johnson, and others.
Jadon Canady - Redshirt Senior
Corner? Nickel? Safety? It’s tough to tell – but let’s assume either nickel or corner here. Versatility is never a bad thing.
Oregon is the third school of Canady’s college career, starting at Tulane, and then transferring to Ole Miss.
Canady was a late portal addition to Oregon, and is very familiar with co-defensive coordinator Chris Hampton. Canady was a key piece of the Tulane defence in 2021, coordinated by Hampton. As a true freshman he started in 12 games, tallying 55 tackles and 2 interceptions.
Canady started nearly every game in 2024 for Ole Miss, with 38 tackles and 11 pass breakups. Despite the productive numbers, many Ole Miss fans are not high on Canady, and feel he won’t be sorely missed.
Because of his experience starting on a power conference defense, and familiarity with Hampton, Canady is a solid pick to secure a starting spot for the Ducks.
Side note -- does anyone in the nation have a better uniform career than Jadon Canady?
Rodrick Pleasant - Redshirt Sophomore
Pleasant, alongside fellow Duck Blake Purchase (EDGE) both utilized unconventional redshirts, taking it as a sophomore, not a freshman. When Pleasant did see snaps as a true freshman, he was fairly impressive against Hawai’i, Utah, USC and Liberty.
Why didn’t he play more than four games as a sophomore? There are plenty of explanations: Better depth in front of him, development taking a longer time due to his track and field commitments, and perhaps his size.
Being just 5 feet 9 inches, he is at a disadvantage, and could need more development before seeing significant snaps. Although, as already mentioned, the size issue has been largely overblown at the corner spot for Oregon.
Pleasant redefines the term "track speed." He is a member of the Oregon track team, competing in the 100 metre sprint primarily. He was the 2023 high school national champion in the 100M, and has a personal best of 10.09
Na’eem Offord
Offord may be the biggest question mark of this team. He has the talent and size to step into the program and make an instant impact. National recruiting expert Brian Smith suggested on a podcast with Spencer McLaughlin for Locked on Ducks, that Na’eem Offord could start for Oregon at any of the three corner spots, or at safety, alongside Dillon Thieneman.
Nonetheless, Tosh Lupoi did confirm that Oregon recruited Na’eem Offord to play corner.
Brian Smith’s excitement around Offord is more than warranted. He is the sixth highest rated Duck recruit of all time according to 247Sports, and was ranked as the number three corner in the class of 2025.
The staff as a whole are generally hesitant to start true freshmen across the board, and even the most talented ones only find a role in a limited capacity, (Josh Conerly as the sixth offensive lineman, Matayo Uiagalelei in a rotational role, etc.).
If we do see Offord on the field receiving significant snaps, fans should immediately recognize the pure talent he has.
"He is an unbelievable player, and we're really thrilled to have him on our team; excited to see what he does.""Dan Lanning on Na'eem Offord
Dakoda Fields - Redshirt Freshman
Fields didn’t get into a game for the Ducks as a true freshman in 2024. Greg Biggins of 247Sports said that Fields as a senior in high school was “only scratching the surface of how good we think he can be.”
He stands at 6 feet 2 inches with an impressive 74 inch wingspan, according to 247Sports. The entire room is a toss up, and judging the progression of Fields and others we have not seen yet without any outside access to spring practice is difficult to say the least.
Fields has the upside to be a starter sooner rather than later, but his role could be limited in 2025.
Brandon Finney - True Freshman
Finney is a top 40 recruit in the class of 2025, a great athlete, and possesses the ideal size for a corner. He is the second elite corner from the state of Maryland to sign with Oregon in the last two cycles, joining Ify Obidegwu.
It feels as if Finney has not been as mentioned amongst Oregon fans when discussing the elite 2025 class, likely due to Na’eem Offord and other elite players arriving to Oregon this year. Finney is very close to being a five star recruit, and should be receiving the recognition he deserves.
While unlikely to see significant snaps in 2025, Finney will soon be a part of a secondary littered with five stars and high four stars.
Solomon Davis - Redshirt Sophomore
Davis saw action in nearly all of Oregon’s games in 2024, but almost exclusively in a special teams role. He is the lowest rated non-transfer on this list, and may have carved out a role as a special teamer.
He does have an experience advantage over a few players on this list, which could see him get in on defensive snaps late in blowouts, but overall, there are more exciting names to watch for.
Dorian Brew - True Freshman
Dorian Brew is the third highest ranked corner in Oregon’s 2025 class – and he’s the 12th ranked corner in the nation. That type of recruiting excellence is what earned Chris Hampton 247Sports’ recruiter of the year award.
Andrew Ivins of 247Sports said that Brew “primarily plays press-man and off-man coverages” and suggests he could play multiple positions along the secondary, and has the body type to work as a nickel in the defense.
Stay tuned to Autzen Zoo for the latest from Oregon spring practices - resuming April 2, concluding with the spring game on April 25