Tag: Adrian Klemm

Ducks land massive commitment from 6-foot-7 JUCO lineman

Talk about a massive commitment. George Silva stands at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, and he’s now committed to the Ducks.

The Oregon Ducks have been hot on the recruiting trail in the past few days, landing a 4-star OL in the 2023 cycle, Iapanin Laloulu, and also grabbing the top-ranked player in the state of Oregon for the 2024 class, 4-star TE A.J Pugliano

They now picked up another massive, quite literally, commitment from JUCO OL George Silva, a 6-foot-7, 300-pounder from Fullerton College. 

Although it is a relatively raw product, Oregon fans should be encouraged by the prospect of what Oregon OL coach Adrian Klemm can do with Silva once he is in Eugene. The Ducks have one of the best offensive lines in the nation, and Klemm is the mastermind behind that. He’s a proven talent evaluator and tends to get the most out of his players. That should be no different with this massive OL prospect.

Film

George Silva’s Recruiting Profile

Adrian Klemm describes ‘comfort’ that positional flexibility brings the offensive line

The Ducks’ offensive line is experienced and versatile. That brings comfort and flexibility for the offense, says Adrian Klemm.

On a roster filled with newcomers at several key positions, including quarterback, a big saving grace for the 2022 Oregon Ducks is the experience on the offensive line.

Alex Forsyth returns at the pivot position in the middle, ready to once again compete for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.

The rest of the (projected) starting line includes redshirt junior Steven Jones, senior transfer T.J. Bass, redshirt senior Ryan Walk, and redshirt transfer senior Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu.

So while experience (and to some degree continuity) is a big benefit for this group of linemen, the unit also features a ton of positional flexibility which should help them in the short and long term.

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“We have a good idea on what position best suits them,” new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm said. “But there’s always a positive outcome when you have position flexibility, when you have some mobility. It’s not something I like to do within a game, but it’s comforting, especially for the offense coordinator to know that guys are capable of doing certain things.”

Oregon is heading into the season with a new head coach and new coordinators on offense and defense, so versatility and flexibility are no doubt crucial elements for everyone on the roster as they try to put the pieces together to get the most successful results in year one.

However, Klemm is weary of trying to push these guys without giving them the proper opportunity to work on the nuances of each different spot along the offensive line in practice first.

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“You never want to throw a guy in there during the game that hasn’t taken any reps at that position,” Klemm stated. “They kind of blame the kid and say, ‘Oh, he’s not doing a good job.’ If you haven’t given him an opportunity to kind of hone his craft, and to do that in practice, then you can’t expect them to have success in the game.”

With just a few weeks until the season opener against Georgia, Klemm will be working hard to have each of the guys ready to work at least at one spot up front. However, the more spots each guy can contribute the more dynamic this offensive unit will be this season.

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Where the Ducks land among the top-ranked offensive lines in the nation

The Ducks have experience on their side when it comes to the O-Line. They rank among the best units in the nation going into 2022.

When many people project the Oregon Ducks are going to find success in the 2022 season under new head coach Dan Lanning, a lot of that is on the basis it will come of the backs of the defense.

However, you shouldn’t be so quick to overlook the offensive line.

One of the most valuable position groups on the field, Oregon has a real strength on the line this season, returning a handful of starters from last season and bringing in some talented young pieces as well. Though there have been a couple of injuries to monitor — T.J. Bass and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu have missed time during fall camp — the Ducks look largely healthy and ready to go for the start of the season.

If you’re looking for it, there is also an upside that comes with the injuries on the front line as well. While we expect the veteran players to be ready to go by Week 1, their missing practice has allowed some young guys — five-star offensive tackle Josh Conerly, four-star offensive guard Dave Iuli and three-star OT Kawika Rogers — to get valuable reps early on in practice.

“Fortunate for us we’ve been able to get a lot of young guys reps early,” Lanning said earlier this week. “And there’s been some guys that have stuck out and had really good days. You know, Josh Conerly had a good day, had a really good rep and competition today. Competition drill — we do kind of a one-on-one drill — he did a really good job. Seen some good things from Dave (Iuli), seen some good things from Kawika (Rogers). A lot of those young guys have done well up front.”

As it stands, the Ducks should feel confident about where their OL stands going into the season. But where do they stack up when it comes to the best position groups in the nation? Here’s where On3 ranked them:

‘Over-worked, under-appreciated;’ Coach Adrian Klemm discusses progress on OL during fall camp

“It’s a mature group and they take pride in what they do.” OL coach Adrian Klemm is happy with what he’s seen from his group so far.

The outlook for the Oregon Ducks’ offensive line is certainly positive. With a handful of veteran players returning for one more season, offensive line coach Adrian Klemm had reason for wanting to leave a job with the Pittsburgh Steelers to come back to the college ranks and take over a group that could be among the very best in the Pac-12 this season.

Klemm has also made an early mark in the recruiting world as well, helping to land 5-star offensive tackle Josh Conerly back in the spring. Conerly was ranked as the No. 1 OT in the 2022 class, and Klemm helped push the Ducks over the USC Trojans in the end.

With fall camp now well underway, we got a chance to talk to Klemm after the Ducks’ 6th practice of the year, the first one in full pads. Here are some of the best quotes from the day:

Top unsigned OL in Washington places Oregon Ducks in recruiting cutdown

The best unsigned OL in the state of Washington is down to five schools, with the Oregon Ducks firmly in the mix.

One thing that Dan Lanning and his coaching staff emphasized when taking over with the Oregon Ducks was that they needed to do whatever they could to keep the northwest’s most talented players close to home during their college years.

So far, things seem to be going according to plan, with Landen Hatchett, a 3-star offensive lineman, cutting his schools down to 5 and including the Ducks in the mix.

Hatchett is a 6-foot-3, 295-pound IOL who is ranked as the No. 2 lineman in the state of Washington. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 46 IOL in the 2023 class, and No. 678 player overall.

In Hatchett’s top-5, the Ducks are among three Pac-12 schools to make the cut, alongside Washington and USC. Hatchett is also planning to take official visits to the Michigan Wolverines and Texas A&M Aggies.

Film

Landen Hatchett’s Recruiting Profile

Who is Adrian Klemm and why is he a great hire for the Oregon Ducks?

Adrian Klemm is leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers to coach under Dan Lanning with the Ducks. That should be encouraging for Oregon fans, to say the least.

An earlier report was made official on Monday morning, with Pete Thamel confirming that the Oregon Ducks are bringing in Adrian Klemm to be their new offensive line coach under Dan Lanning. On top of that, Klemm will also serve as an assistant coach for the team, as well as taking over as the run game coordinator.

That sounds like a lot of responsibility for a single coach, but once you find out more about Klemm, you’ll understand why he is the man for the job. So who is Adrian Klemm?

In short, Klemm is the former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach. He’s been with the Steelers since 2019 and worked well at the NFL level, learning under highly-respected head coach Mike Tomlin. Before that, Klemm had extensive experience at the college level, working as the run game coordinator and associate head coach for the UCLA Bruins. Before that, he was the O-Line coach and recruiting coordinator for the SMU Mustangs.

Prior to his coaching tenure, Klemm was a highly successful NFL player, winning a trio of Super Bowls with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the early 2000s.

So why is this a great hire for the Ducks? Well, simply because it tells us two main things about Dan Lanning and the program as a whole. First, it shows that Lanning is looking for experienced coaches who have proven that they can get the job done at a high level. Klemm has experience in the NFL, and his reputation as a recruiter should not be ignored. He is yet another coach with great recruiting ties both in Texas and on the west coach.

Second, it can’t be ignored what a big deal it is for an NFL offensive line coach to come to college to take the same position. That shows the type of weight that Oregon can have on the national landscape. Of course, Klemm has a couple of other hats to wear on top of his OL duties, but the fact that he would come back to college for anything short of a coordinator position is encouraging for Duck fans. That means there is excitement about what Lanning is building in Eugene, and people want to get on board.

We will see how things play out over the next few weeks and the rest of the coaching staff is filled out, but early on, signs are really encouraging for the Ducks as Dan Lanning continues to add impactful pieces to the staff.

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Report: Oregon to officially hire Steelers OL coach Adrian Klemm as assistant head coach

A report from @PeteThamel shows the Ducks are officially hiring Pittsburgh Steelers’ OL coach Adrian Klemm as their new run game coordinator and assistant head coach.

An earlier report about the Oregon Ducks’ interest in Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line coach Adrian Klemm has now been confirmed, with a report from Pete Thamel saying that the Ducks have hired him to be the new OL coach and assistant coach in Eugene.

According to Thamel, Klemm will also serve as the run game coordinator for the Ducks.

Klemm is a former offensive lineman himself, where he won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. He also has a lengthy list of experience as a coach, starting at SMU where he worked his way up from a graduate assistant into the O-line coach and run-game/recruiting coordinator. Klemm also coached at UCLA, where he served as the associate head coach and offensive line coach.

For the past three years, Klemm has been on staff with the Steelers.

We weren’t expecting this move to be made official until after the NFL season, which still has a few weeks left. However, Thamel reports that the Steelers are letting Klemm start at the new position today, so we can expect official word from Oregon soon.

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Report: Oregon Ducks targeting Pittsburgh Steelers’ O-line coach Adrian Klemm

According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, the Ducks are targeting Pittsburgh Steelers’ OL coach Adrian Klemm to join Oregon’s staff.

Oregon Ducks new head coach Dan Lanning continues to try and fill out his coaching staff in his first few weeks in the position, and this time, he has eyes set towards the professional ranks to get it done.

According to a new report from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Lanning and the Ducks are targeting Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Adrian Klemm to come to Eugene and fulfill the same role with Oregon.

Klemm is a former offensive lineman himself, where he won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. He also has a lengthy list of experience as a coach, starting at SMU where he worked his way up from a graduate assistant into the O-line coach and run-game/recruiting coordinator. Klemm also coached at UCLA, where he served as the associate head coach and offensive line coach.

For the past three years, Klemm has been on staff with the Steelers.

Rittenberg notes that since the NFL season is yet to end, no deal with Klemm has been officially completed, but he is one of the targets for the Ducks. We will see over the coming weeks if this comes to fruition for Dan Lanning and his new team.

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Get to know Steelers new OL coach, Adrian Klemm

Get to know a bit about Steelers new OL coach, Adrian Klemm.

The Pittsburgh Steelers overhaul of the offensive staff continued on Monday with the hire/promotion of Adrian Klemm as offensive line coach.

While there was a bit of optimism in recent weeks that the Steelers might actually hire someone outside of the organization, it should come as no surprise that they didn’t. That’s just not how they roll.

New blood is always a case of trial and error and Klemm’s coaching experience is minimal. For an offense that needs a ton of tweaking, promoting an individual with two years’ experience as an assistant coach is discouraging — especially considering he’s assisting a coach with just one year of pro experience in Matt Canada.

But, hey, coaches have to start somewhere, right?

All Steelers Nation can do is hope Klemm improves the line (insert fingers crossed emoji).

Though Black and Gold faithful are skeptical of Klemm. He was, after all, part of the staff the coached a horrible O-line. Though as an assistant, his responsibilities were largely with rookies, and guard Kevin Dotson has a strong first season — this without training camp.

Fans may be upset, but former and current players are praising the promotion.

Want to know a bit about the new OL coach? Here’s the skinny:

Klemm was a four-year starter at left tackle at the University of Hawaii and was drafted 46th overall by the New England Patriots in 2000 — he was Bill Belichick’s first-ever Patriots draft selection.

In five seasons with the Patriots, Klemm appeared in 26 games with 10 starts and was part of three Super Bowl championship teams. His final season as a Green Bay Packer yielded 16 games and eight starts in 2005.

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Klemm got his coaching feet wet as a graduate assistant with the SMU Mustangs in 2008, where June Jones, his former head coach at Hawaii, was leading the team. He moved up quickly and was named offensive line coach after one season.

In 2011, Klemm accepted an offer as offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the UCLA Bruins under coach Jim Mora, Jr. He was elevated to associate head coach in 2014 and left UCLA in 2017.

In 2019, Klemm landed his first pro gig as Steelers assistant offensive line coach under former offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett.

Both Klemm and Canada have a monumental task ahead of them to continue the line’s pass protection efficiency while improving run blocking — with personnel who could be vastly different from the 2020 season, including starting running back.

The line was criticized in recent years for a lack of physicality. It did close to nothing to open up run lanes for James Conner and company in 2019 and 2020.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. The process, including renovating the line, could take a couple of seasons.

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