Could Troy Dye be a candidate for Defensive Player of they Year?

After his senior season in 2015, former Oregon defensive lineman DeForest Buckner won the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year award. He was the first Oregon player to earn the honor since Haloti Ngata in 2005. He was the team leader in tackles for loss with 17, and led the entire PAC-12 in sacks with 10.5. Buckner was the star of an otherwise mediocre Oregon defense. Once he left for the NFL, the team was missing a defensive leader.

It wasn’t long until Buckner’s defensive leadership was replaced, albeit by an unlikely candidate. Troy Dye, who was originally a three-star recruit as a safety in 2016, burst onto the scene for the Ducks in his freshman season at linebacker. In his first year, he led the team in tackles, which is a rare feat in its own, while also leading in tackles for loss and sacks. By leading the team in all three of those major categories, and ranking in the top ten of the PAC-12, Dye sent a message that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with during his tenure with the Ducks.

Dye put on an encore during his sophomore year as well, improving in every major category except sacks, with the number dropping from 5.5 to 4. Still, his play was good enough to earn All-PAC-12 Second Team. With Oregon’s defense possibly creeping towards the top of the PAC-12 in 2018, Dye will be in the spotlight more than ever. If he can put up dominant numbers again, this time with an elite defense, he could be the next Duck to win the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

When looking at history, the numbers are on Dye’s side. Aside from the otherworldly numbers that Scooby Wright put up for Arizona in 2014, Dye’s sophomore statistics are comparable to other linebackers who have won the award. Dye’s 2017 numbers were nearly identical to those of Mychal Kendricks, who won while playing for Cal in 2011. Dye’s stats also dwarfed those of 2008 winner Rey Maualuga, finishing with almost 30 more tackles, and 11.5 more tackles for loss.

Oregon’s defense will be better in 2018, and Dye will still be the leader of it. Team success could potentially be a deciding factor that wins him the award. 2017 winner Vita Vea was the leader of a Washington defense that was among the best in the country. In the 2016 season, Dye’s numbers only led one of the worst defenses in the nation. As the Ducks continue to improve, and his numbers stay dominant, he could have a much easier time swaying the voters in his favor.

The major thing that Dye has going against him is the position he plays. While plenty of linebackers have won the award, it has recently been dominated by defensive linemen. Six of the last ten winners have been on the line, with only three linebackers. Linemen generally get more notice by oftentimes finding themselves atop the standings in tackles for loss and sacks. These will make the highlight reel, and gain the attention of voters far easier than regular tackles, which are usually led by linebackers. More often than not, a linebacker will have to put up insane numbers to gain the same recognition that linemen receive.

Dye has put himself in a great position for 2018. He has built himself up into the household name of the Oregon defense over the last two seasons and seems poised to dominate yet again. His defensive support on the front seven remains largely unchanged, with a talented and experienced group around him. He will likely set career highs again next season, with a defense that ranks higher to the top of the conference than one in the middle. If everything works out the way it should, not only is Troy Dye almost a lock for All-Conference First Team, he could take home the PAC-12’s Defensive Player of the Year award as well.