As the spring transfer portal and April came to a close, the Oregon Ducks roster looked as close to perfect as any other team in the nation.
Throughout the offseason head coach Dan Lanning brought in exponential talent from across the country including wideout Evan Stewart from Texas A&M, defensive back Jabbar Muhammad from Washington, and more.
However, with the portal now closed, what are the three things Oregon could have made even better this spring? What are the three positions the Ducks could have added more depth to?
Here are the three most glaring needs for the Oregon Ducks coming out of the spring transfer portal:
Defensive lineman
When the spring portal opened on April 16, the Ducks were already in need of some additional support for their defensive line.
Despite Lanning adding former Houston D-Lineman Ja’Maree Caldwell to his roster, Oregon’s unit looked a little thin compared to some of its Big Ten opponents.
Unfortunately for the Ducks, just before the portal closed on April 30, Johnny Bowens III and Ben Roberts entered their names to transfer away from Oregon.
Bowens and Roberts are both four-star transfers and would make an excellent addition to any school’s roster but they are also big losses for the Ducks defensive line.
Linebackers
Jestin Jacobs is set to become a star for the Oregon Ducks… if he can remain healthy for the entire season which has been difficult for his previous collegiate seasons.
Besides Jacobs, there are a few more talented linebackers on Oregon’s roster such as Jeffrey Bassa but the linebacker room definitely lacks depth for the Ducks.
Oregon didn’t pick up any linebackers in the spring portal but didn’t lose any of its minimal depth at the position over the two-week window.
Since the Ducks only have a few top-tier players at the position, Lanning will have to rely on younger, less experienced players for depth.
Safeties
While the Ducks are stacked at the cornerback position, Oregon lacks depth in the safety room.
One star whose name is in the portal, Texas A&M safety Jacoby Matthews, would make a perfect fit for the Ducks and would fill the hole that the position currently holds.
If Lanning can bring Matthews to Eugene, flexing his ever-impressive recruiting muscle, the Oregon defense will be nearly unstoppable.
While this list contains only defensive positions, the Ducks will not get blown apart by Big Ten offenses.
Oregon has an incredibly sound defensive unit to nicely complement its offensive squad.
However, if Lanning can land star players at these three positions, the Ducks will only get that much better.