Jeffrey Bassa Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Eric Evans/Oregon Athletics)
School: Oregon
Class: Senior
Position: LB
HT: 6’2
WT: 235 lbs
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Background: Jeffrey Bassa is a versatile athlete, who played safety in high school before transitioning to linebacker. Bassa is originally from Salt Lake City and was a top 5 player in the state of Utah. The 4-star in the class of 2021 was a top 30 player at his position in the class. Bassa attended Kearns High School, where he played both offense and defense. As a senior, he earned First Team All-Utah honors. Bassa committed to Oregon over Utah, Baylor, and others.
College: Jeffrey Bassa came to Eugene and made an immediate impact for the Ducks. He transitioned from defensive back to linebacker early in the season, appearing in every game. Bassa started 9 games as a sophomore in 2022 and by 2023, he was an all-conference selection. He ended his junior season with 72 tackles and 3.5 TFLs. As a senior, Bassa was an honorable mention Big 10 after posting 54 tackles and 2.5 TFLs.
Strengths: Jeffrey Bassa is an excellent pursuit linebacker who can get downhill in a hurry to make a play in the backfield. He is an instinctive player with a high football IQ. He is the green dot on the defense and calls out those defensive adjustments pre-play. In zone coverage, Bassa does well to take away passing lanes and read the quarterback’s eyes while he does so. He takes away the entire intermediate area between the hashmarks due to his range and feel in zone coverage. Bassa also does well to cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage. He reads the backfield well in the run game. Bassa’s run fits are up there with the best in the nation. His ability to penetrate the gaps and get his hands on the ball carrier are elite. He has long range speed that is rare amongst linebackers, which stems from him beginning his college career as a safety. He has movement skills to get anywhere on the field on any given field. Bassa has recovery speed to get back into a play and make a tackle on a ball carrier who has made a play to get down the field.
Weaknesses: Bassa is undersized for a MIKE linebacker. He is on the lighter side, which should not come as a surprise considering he was a safety. With that being said, his measurables are also not ideal. He has shorter arms, which may be a problem when trying to bring down bigger quarterbacks or the bigger running backs in the NFL. Bassa has trouble moving blockers and shedding in the run game. He can get swallowed up and displaced by blockers too easily.
Conclusion: Jeffrey Bassa is an instinctive and smart linebacker who can provide leadership and high-level athleticism for a defense right away. His coverage skills at the linebacker position will give him an advantage on the depth chart. While he is developing and used as a depth defensive player as a rookie, he has special teams upside that will be put to use in all four phases.
Scheme Fit: Base 4-3 Zone
Ideal Role: Offball Linebacker
Best Team Fits: CIN, DAL, SEA
Player Comparison: Daiyan Henley
Player Grade: Round 3 (79.9)
