Alex Forsyth knows what it takes to play offensive line at the highest levels of college football. After spending three years learning from a group of excellent long-term starters, Forsyth started all seven games at center for the Ducks in 2020, earning him all-conference honors from the Pac-12 coaches.
The former West Linn (Ore.) star knows the playbook for all five positions along the Oregon offensive line having played significant snaps at guard and tackle in a backup role as a freshman and sophomore before starting as a junior.
Behind Forsyth in the center depth chart heading into fall camp is true freshman Jackson Powers-Johnson who was one of 13 early enrollees from the Ducks’ No. 3 nationally ranked class of 2021.
Duck Sports Authority first scouted Powers-Johnson at the Los Angeles Rivals camp in March of 2020, days before all football activities were shut down by pandemic related restrictions. He stood out that day particularly in one-on-ones, where he faced a mix of the best interior defensive linemen the West Coast had to offer, and did not lose a single rep. Based on his performance there he was boosted from a three to four-star recruiting prospect.
Now at Oregon he has continued to shine. After a solid spring camp and immense effort in the weight room, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound true freshman has caught the eye of the coaching staff and has earned several mentions from Coach Cristobal in the first week of fall camp as a guy who will help the team this year.
To get some insights into what Power-Johnson has done to put himself into position to contribute as a true freshman offensive lineman, DSA turned to Alex Forsyth to get his analysis of his rookie protégé.
"I love working with Jackson. He is a guy who reached out to me since the first day he got here, looking how to improve. I think a big thing was, you have to be ready to learn and I think he has done a phenomenal job of wanting to learn. He wants to get better at the position. He wants to understand our offense, the ins and outs. You have to have a full on mastery of the offense and you have to understand what is going on with at least the front seven of the defense.
"So for him the biggest thing was he had to learn the offense first before he can play. And I think he has done a really great job. He is a smart kid. Physically I think he has gotten a lot better playing the position, getting used to college.
"You have got to remember, during spring ball he was supposed to be a high school student, a senior. That is one thing you have to realize about these young guys; early enrolling is becoming more and more popular and you have to remind yourself ‘hey, these guys are supposed to be seniors in high school’.
"I remember myself as a senior, I couldn’t do that. But he has done a phenomenal job. In the weight room he puts up some really crazy numbers. On the field he has gotten a lot better. His mobility has gotten better. I think when he came in he was a little stiff. He has gotten way more mobile.
"I think he has done a great job just of improving. You are not going to get better all at once. It is not an overnight process and he knows that. I think that is the best part. He just looks to get better any way he can.
"Just this morning he was asking ‘hey, when you come in early, what do you do mobility-wise?’ so I took him through my whole routine.
"So it is going to be a good thing. We weren’t in the same lift group this spring so I couldn’t really take him through that. I know it is going to be something he is going to work for. Every morning I go in there early and I get my mobility done, so does Johnny, so do all these other guys. Little things like that give you the competitive advantage and I know he is going to do all that. I am excited to work with him."
Oregon returned all five of its starters from the 2020 offensive line, so breaking into this starting lineup would be no easy nut to crack. Powers-Johnson has the skill set to play guard or center at the college level, but his best position is center.
The coaches could conceivably move Forsyth elsewhere if Powers-Johnson at center helps make the best five.
Another wildcard in the mix is Kingsley Suamataia. He is another true freshman who has excelled in fall camp and could be even harder to keep off the field than Powers-Johnson. Suamataia is a tackle, so that would only effect where Forsyth could conceivably move and help the most.
Normally DSA recommends against relying on any true freshman offensive lineman to contribute, partially because OL is the hardest unit to learn and play in as a frosh. But this year seems different, with both Suamataia and Powers-Johnson. They are both unicorn OL in that they are ready to play. They are putting legitimate heat on last year’s starters for playing time.
This is a good thing which will be fun to watch.