Tag: A’Lique Terry

Position Outlook: Ducks offensive line stacked with talent, experience

There very well could be 5 new starters on the UO offensive line this fall. Despite the newness, the Ducks have the talent to be really good up front.

One of the many positions on the Oregon Ducks roster where Dan Lanning and the rest of the coaching staff have made a concerted effort to increase the level of talent is on the offensive line.

With the addition of guys like Ajani Cornelius, Junior Angilau, and Nishod Strother, Lanning has used the transfer portal in order to up the level of talent on the offensive line. While the Ducks are trying to replace four of the five starters from a season ago, there is a belief that the talent is there to be just as good as they were in 2022 is on the roster.

We have a pretty good idea of what the starting left tackle and right tackle positions will look like, but as for the interior of the OL, there are spots that are up for grabs. Going into fall camp, the offensive line is going to be one of the more intense position battles in Eugene.

With the new lineman on the roster and the expected jump from underclassmen, we broke down what we expect the Ducks’ offensive line to look like this fall.

‘Josh Conerly is a freak athlete, but he’s the hardest worker in our room’

With a massive frame, feet like a safety, and a work ethic second to none, Josh Conerly’s ceiling at Oregon his through the roof.

There as been a lot of talk about sophomore offensive tackle Josh Conerly this off-season. Rightfully so, too.

As the highest-rated offensive lineman to ever sign with the Oregon Ducks a year ago, fans have been anxious to see what the former 5-star OT who was rated No. 1 in his class can do on the field. While we got to see his abilities sparingly during the 2022 season, everyone understood that it likely wasn’t going to be until 2023 that Conerly had an opportunity to have a major impact. With five starting positions on the offensive line up for grabs, Conerly is in a position where he can really show what he’s capable of this off-season, and it sounds like he’s taking full advantage of the opportunity.

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When we’ve met with coaches and players this spring for post-practice interviews, I always try and ask about Conerly. Dan Lanning has remarked at how hard the sophomore has worked to become a better leader. Marcus Harper said he’s done an incredible job to change his body, bulking up and putting on the right kind of weight.

It wasn’t until Thursday that we got the most glowing review of Conerly, though. When asked about the high-ceiling No. 76 could possess, offensive line coach A’lique Terry didn’t hold back.

“Josh Conerly has a unique skill set,” Terry said. “I mean that respectfully, his feet — he almost has feet like a safety, or an outside linebacker. He’s got power at the line, so he’s got the tools that’s necessary to be another special force.”

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Of course, you expect your position coach to speak highly of you to the media. However, hearing the high praise from Terry was important to me. As someone who has coached at an NFL level and seen the talent at the highest levels of the profession, you have to take his opinion seriously.

On top of his work with the Minnesota Vikings, Terry has also spent time in Eugene previously, working as a graduate assistant under Mario Cristobal. He’s seen the likes of Penei Sewell, and TJ Bass, and some of the best OL to pass through the Oregon program.

In all of his time coaching, Terry certainly has learned what it looks like to work hard, and have the drive to perfect your craft. In Conerly, he sees some of that drive.

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“We’ve seen some special tackles here in our short time here and in the past,” Terry said. “The best part about Josh Conerly is he’s a freak athlete, but he is the hardest worker in our room. And what does that do for everybody else? If one of your best players in your room is your hardest worker, it becomes contagious.”

There is a lot of talent in Oregon’s OL room this spring, and as every player chases that dangling carrot of a starting spot, there will be someone next to them trying to work harder.

Conerly has as much talent as anyone. By the sounds of it, he also has as much work ethic, if not more, than anyone in that room as well.

With the right coaching, and in the right situation, than can be an incredibly impressive combination.

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Spring is a time for growth, particularly when it comes to O-line versatility, says A’lique Terry

“That’s the beauty of spring ball right now, because a lot of these guys get to play a position they haven’t probably played in the past.”

Spring football is used mainly to prepare the players for what is ahead of them in the fall. It’s also time to get the young guys some needed reps they most likely wouldn’t get as the season approaches.

It’s also time for a bit of experimentation.

Oregon has been known for its versatile offensive line with players capable of playing multiple positions. Most of the time it’s out of necessity because of injury. But linemen don’t go from right tackle to center and succeed out of pure talent and luck. There are dozens of hours of cross-training that lead to that ability.

“It’s pivotal. That’s what made Calvin Throckmorton so valuable for us,” offensive line coach A’lique Terry said of the Ducks’ desire for position flexibility. “He played 50-plus career starts but he started at every position. That’s kind of the thing we tell our guys if you want to get to the NFL, they’re looking for a versatile offensive line. You provide yourself insurance as having a job if you can play right tackle and right guard and center.”

For this current Oregon roster, there are a lot of talented players available, and a lot of starting spots to fill. While the coaching staff works to see who best fits at what position, they’re also working hard to get players out of their comfort zones to see what it may result in.

For Terry, that versatile skill set is built right now in the spring and he’s intent on making sure that having linemen with multiple skills is still the norm within the Ducks program.

“That’s the beauty of spring ball right now because a lot of these guys get to play a position they haven’t probably played in the past,” Terry said. “Now you get more tools in your toolbox. That’s going to be huge for us, getting guys to be versatile. That’s the best part about spring, even if you don’t have guys, you kind of force it. So, guys who have maybe never done something before, they’ve got to do it.”

While this may make things harder for fans and media members watching practice to identify ultimately who the starting linemen are shaping up to be, it will be massively beneficial to the team in the long run.

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‘We’ve got one mission;’ A’lique Terry says Dan Lanning’s championship drive is second to none

Offensive line coach A’lique Terry has served under Mario Cristobal and Dan Lanning and he is all in with his current boss.

Offensive line coach A’lique Terry isn’t exactly a newcomer to the Oregon Ducks football program. But he is a newcomer to this version of the Ducks’ football program.

It’s not often that an assistant coach sees two completely different programs at the same institution. Terry had spent some time in Eugene as a graduate assistant when Mario Cristobal was the Ducks’ head coach, before going on to coach at the University of Hawaii and serve a short stint working with the defensive line for the Minnesota Vikings.

Now Terry is back in Eugene and he sees a difference with Dan Lanning at the helm.

“He’s like a maniac, but in a great way,” Terry said on Thursday. “He loves everything Oregon football, anything possible to get us a national championship. That’s what his aim is. And if you’re not somebody who’s along with that you may say that our coach is wild. No, Coach is locked in on one mission, one goal and if you’re not locked in with that, please step out of the way.”

Ever since coming to Eugene following his national championship as the defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs, Dan Lanning has been working hard to get back to that peak. There is a sense in Eugene that the Ducks are on the right trajectory to get there with Lanning at the helm.

“We’ve got one mission, one goal,” Terry said. “He’s going every single day. He’s consistent with that. There’s no wavering. There’s no roller coaster in him. Coach is a rocket. We’re going to the top.”

Going to the top was the No. 1 reason why Lanning was hired in the first place. That drive and desire definitely have a ringing endorsement from Terry.

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A’lique Terry talks Oregon dream job, Josh Conerly, and offensive line talent

“This was my dream school coming out of high school. There are not many places at all, if any, that is like the University of Oregon.”

For the first time since he was hired as the offensive line coach for the Oregon Ducks, coach A’lique Terry was made available for interviews on Thursday afternoon.

After former OL coach Adrian Klemm left for a job with the New England Patriots, Terry came in and took over a highly-talented group that is looking to replace four of the five starters from the 2022 season.

Terry was a former graduate assistant at Oregon under Mario Cristobal, but has since coached at both Hawaii and for the Minnesota Vikings working on the defensive line.

We got a chance to ask him about his time away from Oregon, as well as what he makes of the talent up front, and his dream job with the Ducks.

Here are some of the most notable quotes from that interview.

Ducks pick up prediction to land 4-star OT after weekend visit

After a visit to Eugene last week, the Ducks are picking up predictions to land this 6-foot-7 OT.

It appears that new Oregon Ducks offensive line coach A’lique Terry is putting in some work early on in his tenure.

One of the main reasons Terry was brought to Eugene in order to take over for Adrian Klemm, who left for a job in the NFL with the New England Patriots, was to keep the high level of recruiting up on the offensive line. So far, it appears that’s working.

After a big visitor weekend in Eugene, the Ducks have picked up a prediction to land 4-star offensive tackle Bennett Warren, a 6-foot-7, 315 pound player from Texas.

Warren is rated by 247Sports as the No. 5 OT in the 2024 class, and No. 82 overall player in the nation.

After the visit to Eugene, Warren also scheduled an official visit to see the Ducks, where he will be back in Oregon on June 23.

Bennett Warren’s Recruiting Profile

Oregon Spring Ball Position Battles: Ducks’ OL enters spring with a clean slate

The Ducks have a clean slate when it comes to the starting offensive line. Watching those guys battle for snaps is going to be fascinating.

As we get into the start of spring football across the nation, it’s become increasingly hard to find either fans or media members who don’t hold some semblance of confidence when it comes to the immediate outlook for the Oregon Ducks.

After a successful 10-win season in 2022, Dan Lanning and his staff did a good job of increasing the level of talent on the roster and creating a culture of competition across the board going into spring practice, which starts on Thursday. One of the biggest areas of competition is going to reside with the big boys up front in the trenches.

The competition to secure the five starting spots on the offensive line is going to be contentious, and incredibly entertaining to watch.

For those aforementioned positive feelings about the Ducks to come to fruition, it’s going to be necessary for the Oregon OL to play at or near the level that we saw last season. The Ducks were among the best units in the country, allowing the fewest number of sacks in the nation and bolstering one of the best rushing units. Of course, with four of the five starters from a year ago now off of the team, matching that level of success is a big ask.

So you take a contentious position competition and add some relatively high stakes.

The result is entertainment for anyone who is paying attention.

Despite the relative lack of notable experience on the offensive front, the Ducks are loaded with talent across the board. You have Josh Conerly, a former 5-star who was the No. 1 OT in the class of 2022, Ajani Cornelius, the former Rhode Island player who was the No. 1 OT in the transfer portal this year, and you also have George Silva, the No. 1 JUCO OT this season as well. That’s just the competition at the tackle position. Throw in a couple of returners at guard, a few highly-rated recruits, and another veteran transfer addition, and you’ve got the makings of a loaded OL room, all competing for snaps.

Again, I can’t wait to watch this play out.

Of course, we likely won’t have an answer on who the starters are after spring ball concludes at the end of April, but we could get a pretty good sense for how things stand. Here are some players that I will be keeping a close eye on over the next several weeks on the OL in Eugene.

Report: Vikings hire Patrick Hill to be assistant DL coach

The Vikings continue to add to their coaching staff, this time going to the college ranks

The Minnesota Vikings continue to reshape their defensive coaching staff under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

According to On3 Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Vikings are hiring Colorado’s defensive tackles coach Patrick Hill to be their new assistant defensive line coach. He replaces A’Lique Terry who left to be the Oregon Ducks offensive line coach.

Hill was only on campus for a few weeks having been hired by new Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. Before joining the Buffaloes, he was a defensive analyst for LSU during the 2022 season.

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7 things to know about Mike Cavanaugh, Oregon’s newest offensive coach

Who is Mike Cavanaugh? A veteran OL coach with a strong connection to the state of Oregon, and a long relationship with Adrian Klemm.

The Oregon Ducks made yet another coaching hire on Thursday afternoon, this time bringing in one of the veteran-most voices that the program now has.

It was reported that Dan Lanning and the Ducks hired former Arizona State offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh to come onto the staff as an assistant OL coach and offensive analyst. Cavanaugh will work closely with A’lique Terry, who was hired by Oregon earlier this month to replace Adrian Klemm.

Cavanaugh immediately becomes one of the most well-established coaches on Oregon’s staff, with decades of experience in the college game and a long track record of sending college players off to the NFL.

After the hire was reported on Thursday, I did a deep dive into Cavanaugh to find out who exactly the Ducks were adding to the coaching staff. What I found did not disappoint.

Report: Ducks to hire Mike Cavanaugh as assistant OL coach/offensive analyst

Dan Lanning is adding a veteran voice to the coaching staff, bringing on Mike Cavanaugh as an assistant OL coach and offensive analyst.

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks might have surprised some people earlier this month when they announced the hiring of A’lique Terry as the new offensive line coach, replacing veteran OL coach Adrian Klemm.

Terry, while an incredibly promising young coach with a bright future, is still early in his career, and one of the knocks on Lanning’s coaching staff in 2022 was that it could benefit from more veteran experience.

It looks like Lanning has made a move to help that.

According to a report from On3’s Matt Zenitz, the Ducks are hiring veteran OL coach Mike Cavanaugh as the assistant offensive line coach to Terry, and he will also serve in an analyst-type role.

Cavanaugh spent the last two years as the Arizona State offensive line coach, and he has also spent time at Syracuse, Nebraska, and Oregon State, among others including the NFL, in his 33-year coaching career.

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