What Josh Conerly's Commitment Means for the Oregon Ducks

To star the month of April, some Duck fans were concerned about the status of Oregon Football recruiting. After all, it had been three months since Dan Lanning and the new coaching staff landed a commitment from the 2023 class, with cornerback Cole Martin serving as the first and lone commitment dating back to New Year's Day.

Now, as we sit here on April 9, that feeling has likely changed. On Friday, the Ducks landed not one, but two commitments in 2023 DL Tevita Pome'e and 2022 OL Josh Conerly.

Pome'e is a great pickup no doubt, but it was Conerly whose commitment sent shockwaves throughout the Pac-12, and even the college football world. Let's peel back the layers in why this commitment is so significant.

Conerly picks Ducks over Trojans

"I feel like it was tough deciding between Eugene and LA." Those were Conerly's words following his commitment.

In my opinion this was the first major recruiting win for Oregon over USC. Getting Jahlil Florence back in February was big, but he was a former commit and Lanning is a defensive coach, so that's not nearly as much of a shock as earning Conerly's pledge.

By picking the Oregon Conerly passed on the opportunity to play for Lincoln Riley, one of the most highly-regarded offensive minds in college football. The Ducks pulled out all the stops in this recruitment, especially getting him back on campus for a last-minute unofficial visit last weekend in the days leading up to his commitment.

Conerly likely won't be the last recruit the Ducks land over USC, as he sets the stage for what's sure to be an enticing battle on the recruiting trail for years. One of offense vs. defense and Dan Lanning vs. Lincoln Riley.

Sign of things to come for Adrian Klemm and the Ducks?

Josh Conerly Oregon Official Visit

One thing I didn't know until this commitment was that Klemm is a former 247 Sports recruiter of the year. He certainly flexed his muscles on the recruiting trail with this commitment.

When Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal went east to Miami, some may have been wondering if the Ducks would still be able to reel in offensive linemen of this caliber. Well, it doesn't look like that's going to stop any time soon.

Not only does Klemm deserve some props, but so does Viane Talamaivo, a new addition to this year's coaching staff who also played a role in this recruitment. Among other factors, it looks like Oregon becoming an NFL factory for offensive linemen still carries significant weight on the recruiting trail.

The addition of Conerly vaults Oregon's 2022 recruiting class to No. 16 nationally (per 247 Sports), which also gives Oregon the top class in the Pac-12 for the fourth consecutive cycle--quite remarkable when you consider how behind the eight ball Dan Lanning was. He was hired in early December but wasn't able to really get settled into his new digs in Eugene until AFTER he won the national championship in mid January.

Picking up steam at just the right time?

Josh Conerly Oregon Visit Autzen Stands

Lastly, Conerly gives Oregon some more momentum on the recruiting trail, something that's particularly crucial at this time in the recruiting calendar ahead of the spring game on April 23. Most of the top-tier college football programs prefer to do most of their heavy lifting on the recruiting trail in the spring and summer months, so Conerly's commitment could serve as a somewhat of a domino effect. But I'd temper expectations ever so slightly seeing that he's a 2022 recruit and the Ducks aren't looking for more players in his class now.

Eval from SI All-American's Matt Solorio

Conerly fires off the ball with fantastic quickness and great leverage. His footwork and his foot speed through contact stick out immediately on film. He’s the type of tackle that looks like a great athlete, just in a big man’s body. Moves extremely well out on an island and when he’s asked to pull.

He’s definitely a finisher and plays with the nastiness that offensive line coaches covet. A big hitter on both sides of the ball. Would like to see more pass protection reps.

*WATCH JOSH CONERLY HIGHLIGHTS HERE*

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