Eugene – Oregon’s vaunted defense, which undeniably won the game for the Ducks in the Redbox Bowl, received yet another boost Thursday as leading tackler and versatile linebacker Troy Dye announced he will follow in the footsteps of quarterback Justin Herbert and a slew of others by returning for his senior season.
Dye, who possesses elite closing speed among many other physical tools, has been Oregon’s leading tackler each of the last three seasons. He was a rare bright spot during Oregon’s disappointing 2016 campaign and excelled under defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt in 2017 after moving to inside linebacker.