Oregon Defensive Lineman Brandon Dorlus Returning for 2022 Season

Dorlus influenced every game he played in this season, and he will hope to improve even more for next season.

Author:
John Rustik
Publish date:
Dec 27, 2021 6:24 PM EST

Over the past three weeks, the Oregon Ducks have seen countless changes for next season. Whether it be coaching changes, transfers or players forgoing college for the NFL draft, the Ducks are going to be a very different team next season. One thing that won’t be different is the interior pressure created by Brandon Dorlus.

Dorlus announced on Monday while speaking with reporters that he would be returning for another year for Oregon, which is huge news for an Oregon team that has seen its roster gutted due to players leaving.

“Nah, I’m declaring for the draft,” he joked when asked about his future. “Nah, I’m playing. I’m coming back. I’m coming back for another year.”

The 6'3", 284-pound sophomore from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has found a spot within the powerful Oregon defensive line. After seeing fewer snaps his freshman year, he has made a huge leap throughout this season and established himself as a serious NFL draft candidate.

“I feel like I had a pretty good, solid year,” Dorlus said. “Coach Joe [Salave'a] really taught me to not be satisfied, so going into next year I just want to be more of a dominant player, more of a consistent player, cause more havoc. I just want to show the nation that I’m gonna be one of the top d-linemen in the nation.”

His year was nothing short of solid. He played in every game except against Colorado, and he tallied 23 tackles, 13 of which were solo. He also had 2.5 sacks but created many more pressures on opposing quarterbacks this season.

Following the absence of Kayvon Thibodeaux because of injury, Dorlus was able to establish himself as another threat for the Oregon defense. His ability to create pressure was what made him so important for Oregon’s defense. He generated the pressure needed to create the game-ending sack in Oregon’s week 2 upset against Ohio State.

His return is crucial for a defensive line group that has seen Thibodeaux leave for the NFL draft and Jayson Jones transfer to Auburn.

Dorlus will hopefully bring leadership to a group that is going to need it next year. With two exciting defensive line signees in Sir Mells and Ben Roberts coming to Eugene, Dorlus can hopefully help these two young players continue to develop so they can take over when Dorlus gets his opportunity to move on.

Another important draft decision is the decision held by Popo Aumavae. His decision will greatly impact the amount of depth Oregon has in its defensive line. Aumavae had 36 tackles this season, 16 of them solo.

If the Ducks do manage to keep both Aumavae and Dorlus, they will have kept cornerstone pieces in their defense. With a new defensive-minded head coach in Dan Lanning, it will be interesting to see how these two could grow and develop with one more year at Oregon.

Dorlus and the rest of the Ducks' defense will get one final curtain call for the 2021 season when they take on Oklahoma in the Valero Alamo Bowl Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. PST.

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