Pac-12 Football: 5 storylines to follow in spring 2019

1. What impact will Jim Leavitt’s departure have on Oregon?

There is reason for optimism in Eugene, as Oregon enters the 2019 season as the front-runner in the Pac-12 North. After Justin Herbert decided to stay in college instead of turning pro this year, it vaulted the Ducks up the charts of those teams that could really make noise in the upcoming drive for the College Football Playoff. With all of their offensive linemen returning, a slew of backfield talent, and only Dillon Mitchell gone from the receiving corps, Oregon has its offense in place.

The defense gets back eight of the players that started in the Redbox Bowl against Michigan State, though three of their top five tacklers are gone from 2018. But the group that returns will be working with a new defensive coordinator after Jim Leavitt opted to leave Oregon at the end of last season. The former South Florida head coach helped turn the Ducks into a respectable unit after they cratered defensively at the end of Mark Helfrich’s tenure as head coach.

In comes Andy Avalos, the Boise State defensive coordinator that helped rebuild the Broncos into a top-shelf defense. Last season, the Mountain West runner-up ranked first nationally in fumbles recovered and was also ranked in the top 10 in sacks generated. Getting that sort of pressure up front will be critical for Oregon, which managed only 2.2 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss per game in Leavitt’s final season.

For Oregon to live up to its promise as a College Football Playoff threat and a Pac-12 favorite, they do not necessarily need their defense to carry the entire load. Herbert and crew will generate plenty of points as long as they all stay healthy. But who eventually emerges at the top of the defensive two-deep out of the spring will determine just how threatening Oregon really is once the season rolls around in earnest at the end of the summer.