Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Josh Conerly came into camp last season with much fanfare. He was one of the program’s highest recruits in history, and the highest-rated offensive lineman to ever sign with the Ducks. While most true freshmen end up riding the bench for a season, Conerly played some sparingly in 2022, often used in a jumbo, short-yardage package.
Despite playing on the O-line, Conerly’s highlight of the year was actually a touchdown catch at Colorado vs. the Buffaloes. But Conerly wasn’t brought in to catch passes. He was recruited to protect the quarterback and open running lanes, following in the long line of successful left tackles at Oregon that includes Penei Sewell, Tyrell Crosby, and TJ Bass in recent history.
According to his teammates, Conerly has worked hard in this off-season and is well on his way to reaching his high potential.
“You come in as a freshman like he did and just so young, you just get thrown into the fire,” said Marcus Harper, the only returning starter from Oregon’s OL in 2022. “He’s really sat down and kind of learned his playbook, honed in on his technique a lot more. He’s changed his body in the weight room, put some more body weight on him. I think he’s up to like 300 pounds if I’m not mistaken. He’s just taking this seriously.”
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With the Ducks losing four of their five starters up front from a season ago, there is currently a clean slate. While spots are open, there is an abundance of talented players working hard to cement their place at the top of the depth chart. While Conerly may have been the highest-rated player among them, none of that matters anymore. In order to win a starting spot, the sophomore is going to have to prove what he’s capable on the field and prove that the litany of recruiting ratings was accurate.
“I think last year him getting a couple of reps, he kind of got a little bit of a feel for the game,” Harper said. “He also saw the vets — Alex (Forsyth), (Ryan) Walk, you know, everybody across that offensive line — how they perform day in and day out. So he’s got to see that first person and now he’s taking the next step. Even though he is young, he’s realizing, ‘Okay, this is how they did it and the results that they got, let me take that and put that in my toolbox.’ So he’s done a tremendous job of that in his offseason and in the spring.”
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While the entire offensive line is in transition as a few veterans have moved on to the next level, Conerly is seemingly poised to be the leader of that next generation, so to speak. Harper’s praise is not the first we heard of Conerly’s leap this spring. A couple of weeks ago, head coach Dan Lanning singled out the offensive tackle as someone who had impressed him early on.
“A guy that really stands out to me going into Year 2 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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We knew a year ago when Conerly chose Oregon over the USC Trojans that the Ducks were getting a player who could potentially be dominant, and had an NFL future ahead of him if the cards played out the right way. Duck fans have seen elite tackle play in the past, with Sewell being the latest to get drafted, going to the Detroit Lions with the No. 7 overall pick in 2021.
It’s far too early to say that Conerly is on that same path; he has yet to start a game for the Ducks. However, if the buzz from coaches and players in the Oregon program is to be believed, he’s well on his way to reaching that 5-star potential in Eugene.
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