Oregon O-Line ready to prove they're still a strength in 2024

EUGENE, Ore. — As the Oregon Ducks get ready to open fall camp on Wednesday afternoon one of their strongest position groups will be their offensive line.

During their final Pac-12 season in 2023, the Ducks featured one of the nation's top groups, leading the country in PFF's pass-blocking grade as a unit while finishing a respectable 31st in run-blocking. The Ducks return three starters from last year's squad in tackles Ajani Cornelius and Josh Conerly Jr., and guard Marcus Harper II — as well as center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu who played over 400 snaps, mostly at guard, last season.

"We already had a little bit of cohesion last year," Harper said. "We're just building off of it more this year."

That idea of cohesion was something that came up constantly among the offensive line at Monday's team media day.

"As an O-Line, naturally, we're already real tight-knit," said Harper. "Now we kinda just do our thing. Whenever it's a bus of O-Linemen we're gonna be some of the funniest people on the bus, we're gonna be one of the loudest groups. I think it's all just an expression of what the team is through and through. We just happen to be one of the focal points of it and I think we just take that on."

"I always say the offensive line room is one of the tightest groups on every campus, but it's very tight here," said head coach Dan Lanning.

The Ducks entered 2023 with question marks. Harper was the only returning starter as center Jackson Powers-Johnson was making a position switch while moving into a full-time starting role for the first time, guard Steven Jones started in 2021 before missing eight games in 2022, Conerly was a former five-star recruit but had only played just over 100 snaps during his freshman season, and Cornelius was making the jump from the FCS to the FBS after transferring from Rhode Island.

"Coming in last year there was uncertainty, I think it was just about upholding a standard that was set by the previous o-line," Cornelius said. "Those guys before and those guys before them had set the standard of what o-line play is at Oregon and it was just important for us to uphold that. Guys like Steven Jones, Marcus Harper, and even Josh [Conerly], they had already been in the program, they really instilled that in us."

As the season went along, those questions would all be answered as they allowed Bo Nix to be sacked just six times while being pressured the least of the 50 Power Five starters with at least 300 dropbacks. Powers-Johnson would go on to be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the 44th overall pick in the NFL Draft after taking home the Rimington Award as the nation's top center while Jones signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.

Their replacements are expected to be the previously mentioned Laloulu — a former four-star recruit from Hawaii — and Indiana transfer Matthew Bedford — who will be entering his sixth season of college football after allowing just a single sack last year for the Hoosiers.

"With how much he's played, he just has a knowledge of how games will be, how environments will be," Conerly said of his new teammate Bedford. "He's definitely brought a really great energy to our room that I feel like we needed and it's been fun."

With so much experience across the line, a lot of the focus has been placed on Laloulu.

"For me, not playing center at all my whole high school career and then coming into my freshman year them throwing me at center, it was kinda new for me," he said.

Laloulu discussed how finding his voice as a leader during the offseason has played a large part in his development.

"I was never the type of guy to talk a lot on the field, I was always the listener, and then whatever they tell me I just pass it down the line," he said. "With me being the center and this whole thing being new to me I would just say being vocal and being a leader of the O-Line and also kinda the whole offense and making sure we're set, cause once we're set, everything would go flow."

This development as a leader has not gone unnoticed by those around him.

"You can hear it in his voice, especially when he's communicating. There are certain things he was hesitant about before that now he's super confident about," Cornelius said of Laloulu. "He's just so sure in his communication."

"He's a guy who wants to be around his teammates, and be around ball," Lanning said. "He's a great example of connection, the job he's done building relationships in that room."

One of the highlights on the line will be the return of one of the nation's top tackle duos in Conerly and Cornelius, something that O-Line coach A'lique Terry called "a blessing" back in the spring.

"JC and Ajani are some of the best in the nation," Terry said. "They put that on film. So to have them back again this year, as an O-Line coach, we are ecstatic."

"I love playing on the same line with Josh," Cornelius said of his counterpart. "Josh was a guy who when I came in, just his work ethic, if you watch Josh you can see how hard of a worker he is and how much he wants to be great so it's just inspirational playing with that guy, it's been so fun."

Another highlight of media day was the line's excitement for the move to the Big Ten, a conference known for its trench play and long history of successful offensive linemen.

"I grew up watching Big Ten football, it's cool to be a part of that culture and that notoriety of being smashmouth football," Harper said. "But Oregon football has been smashmouth football so it kinda goes hand in hand."

"Oregon being in the Pac-12, we've been going against speedy guys, slim and quick guys," Laloulu said. "Now we're gonna be able to test our strength and our speed as well that we've been having throughout the years to go against all these other big teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and everybody like that."

"[Big Ten] games are won in the trenches," said Conerly. "We know that and that lot of games are gonna be put on our backs, o-line and d-line, and I feel like we'll be ready to get the job done."

Oregon has a strong history of offensive line play, with six linemen being selected in the NFL Draft since 2020, and it's clear that this group understands that legacy.

"When I first came to Oregon, it had its potential," said Harper. "You had a couple guys here and there but most recent years it's been like there's always been an Oregon offensive lineman that's poppin' here poppin' there. To be a part of that, you wear it with a badge of honor, and that is the standard of being, okay, when you come here, you're an Oregon offensive lineman, that's the standard you have to play at and if not, good luck to you."

"I think we really have pride in our offensive line play," Cornelius said. "We want to continue to make that a thing."