TAKE ONE:

I mentioned two weeks ago that I did not think there was a reason to be concerned about offensive line recruiting – yet. Part of that is that I knew the Ducks were looking good for Kodi Greene and that the class of 2026 will have a lot of options for Oregon moving forward. There will also be some changes and shifting around across college football this offseason and I think that will create a lot of uncertainty that is going to help Oregon.

While Michael Fasusi is not really an option for Oregon at this point, I think that there will be a lot of others that find themselves looking for a good fit that feels more "authentic".

I used that word purposely. When I was talking with Dutch Horisk over the weekend about his commitment to Oregon one of the topics we discussed at length was why so many athletes talk about the culture at Oregon and what truly separates Oregon from those other schools. I have asked this the last couple of years at the Polynesian Bowl and all too often it is a topic that is difficult for the young athletes to explain.

So as I talked with Horisk I asked if the Oregon staff seemed more authentic in their approach to family. And it was a sort of eureka moment for him. “Yes. That’s it exactly,” Horisk told me.

That’s why I took what the Tennessee writer said with a grain of salt; and why those programs who are saying Oregon is using unlimited NIL cash to buy players were also taken with a grain of salt.

It would be naïve at best to say, NIL plays no role in the decisions of young athletes all across the country. There will absolutely be some players who are seeking the biggest deal possible, but that does not mean every athlete is shopping for the biggest deal and it doesn’t mean that Oregon is simply buying players. Let’s face it – if they were, they would have a much better class. And I think that is the biggest take away for me on the topic – if Oregon truly has unlimited NIL resources and are willing to spend those without concern for fit or culture, they would definitely have a higher ranked class.

The really cool part about going to the Polynesian Bowl is that we get a chance to do more than just chat with the athletes – we get to chat with parents. That is where my real depth of knowledge about what Dan Lanning is building comes from. Parents love to talk. The family culture that Horisk told me about, an environment where the diversity on the team, on the staff, in the community, is celebrated. A feeling that the players are more than just teammates; they are brothers and will give every ounce of their soul to defend and support all of their brothers. That does not happen with a team full of money grubbers.

But this is 2024 and sports always loves a good villain. So, it’s okay that outsiders talk about Oregon as some nouveau riche party crasher trying to buy all their friends like ‘Ronald McDonald’ (Can’t Buy Me Love reference). Dan Lanning is going to do what he does best – build a strong family environment.

TAKE TWO:

What’s interesting about the start of this season is that – despite not having much access to practice, there is still a pretty clear picture of what the team looks like. We know Dillon Gabriel is going to start at QB. It seems clear that the top three wide receivers are Evan Stewart, Tex Johnson, and Traeshon Holden. But we also have a pretty good idea that there are several receivers who have really made a big leap in the past several months. Guys like Jurrion Dickey and Kyler Kasper. We know that Oregon will have great depth there with others like Gary Bryant, Jr., Justius Lowe..

There really is not much question at tight end either. I have said on premium content that Roger Saleapaga is going to be an elite tight end and we will likely see him early this season so get ready to see a special looking player.

The biggest question right now is going to be the most important one – the offensive line. The injury to Matthew Bedford may not cause much of an issue early – except I think that Boise State and Oregon State will still throw some challenges early at the Ducks and every snap Bedford is not available is a snap someone else has to take. That will take its toll down the road f the regular backup gets let’s say 150 extra snaps he would not otherwise have had.

When Lanning talked about the depth at defensive line being so critical, I think it went without saying that the same thing extends to the offensive line. A lack of quality depth on the offensive line is sometimes the difference down the stretch of a game. It explains why sometimes Oregon in the past has struggled to get critical yards late in a close game – the offensive line was tired and against quality opponents, that made a difference.

The short-term loss of Bedford could serve as a boon for the Oregon offense. If they are able to get some good minutes for guys who would normally only be in later, it will create some of the depth that will be needed down the stretch when the Ducks play at home against Ohio State, at Purdue the next Friday then face Illinois before a trip to Michigan. Will the Ducks have better depth by then than they will to start the season?

I expect Bedford’s trajectory to look similar to Jestin Jacobs last year so that means someone like Charlie Pickard, Nishad Strother or another less experienced interior offensive lineman is going to have to absorb some snaps to also keep Dave Iuli fresh (he is also coming off of a foot injury from the spring that will have him limited probably through the Idaho game). If so, that will be critical as the Ducks travel to Wisconsin in mid-November.