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A year ago, the Oregon Ducks' season was defined by the elite play from young players on the roster who were stepping into new roles. Whether it was true freshmen Brandon Finney, Dierre Hill, Jordon Davison, Nasir Wyatt, and Dakorien Moore putting forth great production, or redshirt freshmen like Jeremiah McClellan, Aaron Flowers, and Ify Obidegwu establishing themselves as starters, the Ducks' young core showed out in 2025.
Now, going into 2026, Finney seems to think that this type of thing is set to happen again.
The Ducks signed one of the top recruiting classes in the nation last December, set with five 5-star players and a long list of blue-chip prospects. Now, with a couple of weeks of spring football in the books, Finney has seen these young guys step up early on, and he's been particularly impressed with the incoming freshmen in the defensive backs room and how they've been able to prove early on that they belong.
More: CB Brandon Finney changed running style, increased agility and speed
"I feel like all of the younger guys have really displayed that," Finney said. "Like DB — Davon (Benjamin) — he's been doing a great job. Xavier Lherisse, he's been doing a great job. DJ (Devin Jackson,) he's been doing a great job. All of them, all of the DBs have been doing really good.”
Of course, the defensive back who has drawn the most fan adoration thus far is former 5-star safety Jett Washington, a 6-foot-5, lengthy defender who defensive coordinator Chris Hampton earlier this spring labeled as a unicorn. Not only does Washington have the size and the talent to be a star, but he has the genetics, too, as the nephew of the late Kobe Bryant.
So far this spring, Finney has been impressed by Washington's ability to lock in and immerse himself in the defensive scheme, working every day to get better.
“Jett’s definitely a kid who is focused," Finney said. "He's going to give his best out on the field. And he's a really smart kid, too."
Oregon struck lightning with its freshman class a year ago, finding a long list of potential superstars who were able to provide an impact from the very first day. It will be a tough needle to thread in order to do that again, but if we are to take Finney's word for it, they might have done just that.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks' freshman DBs have impressed CB Brandon Finney early on
Continue reading...
Now, going into 2026, Finney seems to think that this type of thing is set to happen again.
The Ducks signed one of the top recruiting classes in the nation last December, set with five 5-star players and a long list of blue-chip prospects. Now, with a couple of weeks of spring football in the books, Finney has seen these young guys step up early on, and he's been particularly impressed with the incoming freshmen in the defensive backs room and how they've been able to prove early on that they belong.
More: CB Brandon Finney changed running style, increased agility and speed
"I feel like all of the younger guys have really displayed that," Finney said. "Like DB — Davon (Benjamin) — he's been doing a great job. Xavier Lherisse, he's been doing a great job. DJ (Devin Jackson,) he's been doing a great job. All of them, all of the DBs have been doing really good.”
Of course, the defensive back who has drawn the most fan adoration thus far is former 5-star safety Jett Washington, a 6-foot-5, lengthy defender who defensive coordinator Chris Hampton earlier this spring labeled as a unicorn. Not only does Washington have the size and the talent to be a star, but he has the genetics, too, as the nephew of the late Kobe Bryant.
So far this spring, Finney has been impressed by Washington's ability to lock in and immerse himself in the defensive scheme, working every day to get better.
“Jett’s definitely a kid who is focused," Finney said. "He's going to give his best out on the field. And he's a really smart kid, too."
Oregon struck lightning with its freshman class a year ago, finding a long list of potential superstars who were able to provide an impact from the very first day. It will be a tough needle to thread in order to do that again, but if we are to take Finney's word for it, they might have done just that.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks' freshman DBs have impressed CB Brandon Finney early on
Continue reading...
