When Brandon Dorlus announced he would return to Eugene to play his senior season, a sigh of relief from the football offices could be heard from around the state.
Some defenders struggled in 2022 to fit into the new defense head coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi installed, but Dorlus was not among them.
Quite the opposite.
Dorlus had his best season as a Duck in 2022 as he set a career-high for tackles (39) and sacks (2.5). While the numbers themselves don’t exactly jump off the stat sheet, opposing offensive linemen usually had to double-team Dorlus and that freed up another defender(s) to rush the quarterback.
The analytical website PFF.com (Pro Football Focus) recognized Dorlus as one of the top 10 pass rushers that will return for the 2023 college football season. He is one of four Pac-12 players so recognized.
So the conference will indeed feature some elite quarterbacks next season, but those signal callers will need to have their heads on a swivel to look out for some great pass rushers, including Dorlus.