Being undefeated, the No. 2 ranked team in the country, and coming off one of the program’s biggest wins has to feel good if you’re the Oregon Ducks. In what was a back-and-forth heavyweight fight between two of college football’s most prestigious programs in Week 7, Oregon’s ability to pull off an upset of the Ohio State Buckeyes relied heavily on their ability on the defensive side of the football.
With four and five-star recruits littered throughout the Buckeyes' offensive depth chart, it was the test of tests at all three levels for the Ducks’ defense. A group led by head coach Dan Lanning that touts an excellent blend of veteran leadership and athletic young pieces, three athletes, in particular, stood out when it mattered most, leading the Ducks over a Buckeyes group that remains a CFP title favorite.
CB Jabbar Muhammad (5091v, 181 lbs)
It’s still early in the process, but I'm not sure if there’s another secondary player I’m going to pound the table more for than Jabbar Muhammad. A devastating cover corner who projects inside to nickel (5-foot-9 verified), his ability to eliminate varying body types on the perimeter showcased well once again against what is a historically talented Buckeyes group of pass-catchers.
Facing a unit headlined by projected top-50 pick Emeka Egbuka and freshman five-star phenom Jeremiah Smith, Muhammad was targeted just three times on the evening (39 coverage snaps), allowing two catches for 51 yards and just one yard after the catch. And over his last 90 coverage snaps, the former Washington, by way of Oklahoma State, transfer has been targeted a total of nine times. In short, targeting Muhammad consistently is a gameplan no offense in the country has or is expected to deploy.
CB Nikko Reed (5011v, 183 lbs)
On the opposite side of the field lies Nikko Reed, a transfer himself that departed Colorado before Deion Sanders’ arrival last fall. Similarly built to Muhammad, Reed has been just as special on his side of the defense. Through six games, he’s allowed just 14 receptions on 25 targets for 160 yards and he has as many interceptions (1) as touchdowns allowed this fall with a pair of PBUs to his name, as well.
Against the Buckeyes, Reed allowed four catches on six targets for 26 yards in matchups against both Smith (5 targets) and Egbuka (1). He’s lived in Muhammad’s shadow for much of 2024, but Reed has remained one of the country’s premier perimeter stalwarts.
DL Derrick Harmon (6052v, 308 lbs)
While the numbers and underlying analytics won't jump off the page like some of his other outings (watch his Boise State tape), Derrick Harmon was everywhere, all the time, and all at once against the Buckeyes. He’s got an excellent blend of size and twitch at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, and his ability to clog gaps on early downs as well as rush the passer on long down-and-distances will hold weight for prospective NFL clubs.
Even without projected draft pick Jordan Burch alongside him in Week 7, Harmon recorded three pressures, two hurries, and two tackles. He was a nightmare to block within the core of the Ducks’ front. He’s become a constant topic of conversation the last few weeks and is an athlete to know as the pre-draft process kicks into another gear.
