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Credit: 247Sports

If defensive end were one of those showcase positions of which you get to see a lot during the spring, players like Georgia's Nolan Smith and Alabama's Antonio Alfano would have been on the list.

But it's hard to judge defensive linemen in spring games, mainly because most quarterbacks are wearing no-contact jerseys to keep from getting injured. Still, you can see flashes of dominance if you're truly watching the line of scrimmage.

So, pay close attention to the two aforementioned SEC future stars, but also take a look at the Northwest for Oregon star-in-the-making Kayvon Thibodeaux. He's the poster boy for what coach Mario Cristobal is trying to build with the Ducks, and there are plenty of playmakers in this class who can transform that defense.

It looks like Oregon is Washington's biggest Pac-12 threat in the years to come, and that may even be the case in 2019, especially with the Huskies having to replace so much talent on both sides of the ball.

If we start seeing some flashes of what Thibodeaux can do, and if he's truly as explosive as the expectations he carries with him, watch out. He's going to have every opportunity to step in and play immediately if for no other reason than Oregon doesn't have anybody on its roster who is that kind of playmaker.

His first step off the line of scrimmage toward the quarterback is elite, and as the Ducks try to upgrade their pass rush, a player with Thibodeaux's size, speed and athleticism will be too good to keep off the field.

Thibodeaux represented a major victory for the Ducks in the state of California, and Cristobal has to play him as a message to recruits that he's serious about getting you on the field early. However, watch for the defender to earn his way onto the field this spring and not relinquish the starting gig.

There will be a lot of headlines following him around, and he'll live up to the hype.

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of Sports Reference and CFBStats.com. All recruiting information is from 247Sports, and rankings are from the 247Sports composite.

Brad Shepard covers college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.