As we enter the spring football season for the Oregon Ducks, there are a lot of individual players who come in with high expectations. Quarterback Bo Nix is among the early Heisman Trophy favorites, and there’s hope that wide receiver Troy Franklin can get into the conversation for the Belitnikoff Award when all is said and done.
One of the youngest players on the roster with high expectations early on, though, is offensive tackle, Josh Conerly. After coming to Eugene as the No. 1 prospect in Oregon’s 2022 recruiting class — the highest-rated OT to ever sign with the Ducks — there is an expectation that Conerly will immediately step into the starting lineup for Oregon this season, anchoring the left side of the line and immediately becoming the next great tackle to play for the Ducks, following in the footsteps of guys like Penei Sewell and Tyrell Crosby.
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Lofty expectations, for sure, but after hearing what head coach Dan Lanning had to say about Conerly after the Ducks’ first spring practice on Thursday, the sophomore seems to be well on his way to being an elite player, and a great leader, for the team.
“It’d be hard to mention one or two but like, you know, a guy that really stands out to me going into year two is Josh Conerly,” Lanning said. “This guy’s working his tail off in everything that he absolutely does. The way he stretches, just the way he approaches everything you know, his mentality in the classroom as well.”
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Conerly certainly has a path to the starting LT spot on the roster, but it won’t be without some competition. I wrote on Thursday morning about the litany of players that Oregon has on the offensive line who are capable of winning a starting spot, and the list is lengthy. The Ducks brought in Ajani Cornelius from Rhode Island this offseason, who was ranked as the No. 1 OT in the transfer portal. They also have George Silva competing for a starting spot, who comes to Eugene as the No. 1 ranked JUCO OT this offseason.
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We won’t get a final answer on who starts at OL this spring, but we can get a pretty good idea of where guys stand going into the summer months. If Conerly can continue to work hard and reach his projected ceiling with the Ducks, then he could end up being a really great player in Eugene. From the sounds of it, he is well on his way.
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