Oregon defensive back Christian Gonzalez (0) during warmups before Ducks spring football practice in Eugene Tuesday.

EUGENE — Oregon had a glaring need at cornerback this offseason and Christian Gonzalez is set to fill it in a variety of ways.

The former Colorado starter transferred to UO this winter, joining a Ducks secondary that lost starting corners Mykael Wright and DJ James to the NFL Draft and Auburn, respectively, and Jaylin Davies to UCLA.

Gonzalez said he wanted to stay in the conference when he entered the transfer portal and Oregon was the right opportunity he was looking for.

“I played in it so I like this league, I like the play style,” Gonzalez said. “I wanted to come join a team, go win the Pac and win a national championship.”

He fits exactly what Oregon needed to add. Gonzalez is experienced, having played in 18 games the past two seasons, was coached by Oregon cornerback coach Demetrice Martin while at CU and is one of the most productive cornerbacks in the Pac-12.

“He is big time because he is able to be a big brother to the rest of the guys in the squad as far as (a) good cop, bad cop type of thing,” Martin said. “He can be the good cop and I’m the bad cop because he’s been with me for two years so he knows my moves, he knows how I go and how I teach and he’s able to incorporate that with other guys.”

Gonzalez had 53 tackles, fourth among Pac-12 cornerbacks, with 5.5 for loss and five pass breakups last season. His knack for making plays behind the line of scrimmage is extremely rare, as he led the Pac-12 and ranked fourth nationally in tackles for loss among true cornerbacks.

“It’s very important to shoot for, corners period being able to tackle,” Martin said. “He has a knack for diagnosing plays that are happening behind the ball because a lot of those things, his tackles for losses weren’t always pressures, they weren’t always corner pressures. We were up defenders and he had the opportunity to pull the trigger and he did.”

Gonzalez, whose five pass breakups came over the course of just three games and would’ve led Oregon’s cornerbacks last season, said film study is what allowed him to make stops for loss.

“You see the plays and you know, you go,” he said. “Don’t second-guess yourself.”

With Oregon coach Dan Lanning utilizing simulated pressure, dropping a player(s) from the line of scrimmage and bringing a fourth defender from elsewhere to create the illusion of a blitz, having a cornerback with those natural instincts and coverage abilities is a massive weapon.

“We want good corners; he’s a good corner,” Lanning said. “Certainly matters not just for simulated pressure but for every coverage. You’ve got to have guys that can cover in this league.”

The opportunity to be more active in the rush and as a blitzing defender is naturally appealing, especially to the defensive backs.

“I love to come off the edge and get in the party and everybody else in the room loves it,” Gonzalez said. “It’s giving you the extra little bit, all the corners want to go get in the mix and be violent and enjoy it. We all enjoy it.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Gonzalez is already practicing with the first-team defense opposite Dontae Manning, and with Trikweze Bridges spending most of his time at deep safety thus far in the spring it appears the Ducks have solidified at least the two outside spots atop the depth chart.

Gonzalez and Manning are each entering their third years, making them UO’s oldest true corners, and Gonzalez is taking on a leadership role early on.

“I think it shows up on the field, (Gonzalez’s) experience,” Lanning said. “There’s a lot of things he’s still learning. This is a different system for him, certainly a different process for him and some stuff that he can improve. Having Christian here is certainly good for our program.”