Where the Oregon Offensive Line Stands Heading Into Summer
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It's not unusual for a new head coach to walk into the building on his first day and not necessarily know what he's working with at most positions, especially with the transfer portal setting depth charts ablaze nationwide.
But Dan Lanning can sleep soundly at night knowing he will inherit one of the most experienced offensive lines that college football has to offer in 2022. Sure, there was a torrent of attrition at most positions for Oregon this offseason, but the foundation for a solid offense starts with a solid line, and the Ducks have got that taken care of.
"You certainly love having experience," Lanning said. "Offensive lines are unique. They have a real true bond with each other. I think this group is no exception."
The Ducks' offensive line returns 82 combined starts — 80 of which coming from five guys who will certainly be in the starting rotation this fall. TJ Bass (20 starts), Ryan Walk (16), Alex Forsyth (15), Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (15), and Steven Jones (14) all return for one final ride together donning the green and yellow.
"It was understood between us. We just hadn't made it public yet," Walk said of the core guys returning. "We decided we were all going to do it on the same day because we do things together. Five as one, that's the way we look at it."
Oregon offensive lineman Ryan Walk during warmups against Washington.
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
"We kinda got shorted out a year in 2020 and Ryan and I got hurt last year, so we haven't gotten a full season all together healthy," Forsyth said. "Next year is gonna be our year, I think."
With George Moore the only starter moving on from the program, the projected starting lineup will likely be, in order from left to right: Bass, Jones, Forsyth, Walk, and Aumavae-Laulu. Jackson Powers-Johnson, who started twice last year as a freshman, made the move to defensive line this spring but saw some reps on offense as well.
Oregon lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson practices snapping during spring ball.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
The Ducks lost some depth this offseason, as Jonah Miller, Jaylan Jeffers, Jonathan Denis, Logan Sagapolu, and Kai Arneson all transferred.
But Oregon will bring in some reinforcements up front this fall, with 2022 signees Josh Conerly, Dave Iuli and Kawika Rogers coming to town, along with early enrollee Michael Wooten looking to return to health after a banged-up spring.
READ MORE: Oregon 2023 Hot Board: Offensive Line
Despite the experience playing together, the Oregon offensive line must adapt to a new offensive system and how a new position coach prefers to run things. In recent years, Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal emphasized cross-training each of their offensive linemen at different spots throughout camp. New Offensive Line Coach Adrian Klemm revealed this spring that he prioritizes training guys at one spot before moving them around.
"My preference is to develop some form of continuity amongst a group," Klemm said. "I think it's better that way if guys can play together, that they get a better feel for one another."
For the veterans in the room, learning a new offense is nothing new, seeing as how Kenny Dillingham is Oregon's third offensive coordinator in the last four seasons. But having that stability and strong relationship in the offensive line room makes learning the offense much easier, albeit with some inevitable bumps in the road.
Oregon center Alex Forsyth practices snapping during spring ball.
© Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
"It does bring a comfort level where it's like, 'Hey, we've played a lot of ball together, but we're all on the same page. We don't know everything about this offense,'" Forsyth said. "It's comforting that we're all at the same level and we're all gonna make mistakes."
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Either Bo Nix, Ty Thompson, or Jay Butterfield will have the luxury of being protected by a group that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award last year. Oregon's new gunslinger will be lucky to have the stout bunch up front while enduring the challenges of mastering the new offense as well as the rigors of being a starting quarterback.
"A lot of those guys were playing when I played them as a freshman," Nix said of the offensive line. "There's a lot of good experience out there on the field. That means we see a lot of things out on the field, communicate a lot of different ways. That's great for our whole team and great for our offense."
Oregon's offense promises to be dynamic and explosive, and the offensive line, while it won't receive the glitz and glamor as a quarterback or skill-position player would, will be the anchor that fuels the exciting product on the field.
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