It’s no secret that Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is coming off a national championship with Georgia. There, he was the defensive coordinator for one of the most dominant defenses in the country.
As a first-time head coach, how will he incorporate his defensive expertise out West?
One thing that made his Georgia defenses stand out was the success at the line of scrimmage. Five Bulldogs recorded at least 5.5 sacks last season, including No. 1 overall draft pick Trayvon Walker, on a defense that produced five first-round picks overall and finished fourth in college football with 39 sacks.
Anchoring the interior line was future 2022 first-round selections Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt.
Meanwhile, Oregon’s defensive line lost a key member to the draft as well, with Kayvon Thibodeaux foregoing his senior season and getting selected with the fifth pick in the draft.
How will the line recover from the missing production? How will the transfers be utilized? How much impact can Lanning have immediately on the group? As fall camp approaches, I have some thoughts on how the defensive front will look in 2022.
Missed our other previews? Read up on the QBs, RBs, WRs/TEs and OL here.
1. Brandon Dorlus breakout
Brandon Dorlus jokingly told media that he was declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft at an Alamo Bowl press conference in December before taking back the statement and saying he would return for another season. What this season holds for him are the keys to become the new No. 1 pass rush option on the Ducks’ defensive line.
Dorlus returns for his fourth season as a returning first-team All-Pac-12 selection (by the league's coaches), having totaled 27 tackles, 7 for loss and 2.5 sacks last year while leading all Pac-12 interior defensive linemen with an 82.3 pass-rushing grade from PFF. The versatile lineman also carries the second highest career pass rush win rate in Oregon history (15.1%), only trailing Thibodeaux (18.9%), according to PFF.
Dorlus can play on the interior or out on the edge. His size and speed allow him to be utilized wherever he’s needed and having a weapon like that is any coach's dream. Lanning was able to help get three defensive linemen drafted in the first round a season ago -- Dorlus could easily have his career-best season and join Thibodeaux in the league in 2023.
