Leon to Arky

[VinnyKnuckles]

But if you look at the depth, it's just not there like it should be. The team really only has 5 safeties. It would be nice to have 6 or 7.

Yeah, the ideal number of safeties to have on scholarship at any given time is 7, in my opinion. Assuming Brian Jackson is counted as a safety and he is the only safety brought in this recruiting class, the Ducks will have 6 safeties under scholarship next season. That isn't too far off from ideal from a numbers standpoint, assuming they are all healthy when next season begins. The real problem will be the season following next when Ward and Titus Jackson graduate, leaving the Ducks with only 4 remaining safeties on scholarship. In the 2010 recruiting class the Ducks will hopefully bring in a couple high school safeties to get in the pipeline and a JC safety that can actually qualify to provide some immediate help, to boost that number back up to 7.

[greenyellow]

I think that you need to have 1-2 safeties per class to maintain the 6-7 safeties. Safeties play a big role on ST and not having depth means that you may not have enough to cover the D and ST depth charts. You are then forced to play CBs at positions on ST that needs a bigger safety for. Also if you lose a safety, then you have to plug a CB into the depth chart on D also. It would be prudent to take another safety this year since Jackson and Ward will both be SRs and then you wouldn't have to take 3 next year to maintain 7.

I don't think that Oregon would have recruited Leon so heavily if they didn't think they needed depth at the safety position. That position would have been solid depth-wise had Todd Doxey not had his unfortunate accident. He was being groomed to take over for Patrick Chung. From what was being said about him, he would have possibly been a 3-year starter. His death forced the coaches to look for a player that could instantly contribute. That plan seems to have fallen through now.

[duck55]

Anybody know what the deal is with this kid, Gianni Carter - 6'3" 200# 4.55/40
WR/Safety from Marist. #49 on Scout NW Hot 100 but no offers from anywhere
http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=3&blipid=17304