Tag: Kingsley Suamataia

Spring Position Preview: A young, but experienced offensive line ready to flex some muscle

Oregon’s offensive line was inexperienced in 2020, but now they’re ready to show valuable lessons were learned along the way.

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert will be the first one to say that much of his success was due to his offensive line. The group literally grew with Herbert in the program.

But then when it was time to leave, they all left. What remained in 2020 was talented, but extremely young and inexperienced, which showed at times. Oregon’s run game wasn’t as explosive, and suddenly the Ducks quarterback, either Tyler Shough and Anthony Brown, was scrambling more than usual.

[lawrence-related id=712]

Now it’s a year later and the offensive line is still together, ready to show that some hard lessons were learned and those lessons are going to be put to use this coming season.

This young group has always had the necessary size to be successful, but in 2021, the offensive line has experience in the back pocket. No one will be happier to play with the new and improved line than Brown and the tailbacks.

CJ Verdell insists he has a chance to rush for 2,000 yards this season and that goal would be silly to have unless the correct offensive line was in place.

It all begins with the center, Alex Forsyth. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder from West Lynn, Ore. went from playing in just five games in 2019 to being a second-team all-conference selection by the Pac-12 coaches.

Manning the left side of the line will most likely be George Moore at tackle and TJ Bass at guard. Moore, a senior from Antioch, Calif. stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 325 pounds. Despite being named as the No. 1 junior college offensive lineman after the 2016 season, he hasn’t been able to find consistent playing time until last season.

Bass is another junior college transfer that didn’t see significant playing time until 2020. The 6-foot-5, 318-pound junior from Deming, Wash. made the most of his opportunity last season and was named as an honorable mention by the Pac-12 coaches.

Andy Nelson/The Register-Guard

On the right side of the center will be junior Ryan Walk and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. Walk is a Eugene native from Sheldon High School and has seen firsthand how good the Herbert brothers are. He’s not so bad himself. At 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, the media named him as an all-conference selection in 2020. As for Aumavae-Laulu, the 6-foot-6, 325-pounder from Hilo, Hawaii was a second-team all-Pac-12 player last season after redshirting the 2019 season.

Not only is the offensive line group experienced, but it’s deep as well. The Ducks have several big men who will fight for playing time, beginning with Steven Jones and Dawson Jaramillo.

Jones is a mammoth human being at 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds. The Temecula, Calif. native was in the regular rotation of linemen last season and he should expect that not to change anytime soon.

The 6-foo5-5, 303-pounder Jaramillo, a Portland, Ore. native, should also expect to see some regular playing time in his sophomore season.

Someone who might be able to break through fairly quickly is true freshman Kingley Suamataia from Orum, Utah. At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, Suamataia was a five-star recruit and rated as a top 25 player and one of the best offensive linemen in the country. He was also named to the second-team All-USA High School Football Preseason Team by USA Today.

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Spring Position Preview: A young, but experienced offensive line ready to flex some muscle

Oregon’s offensive line was inexperienced in 2020, but now they’re ready to show valuable lessons were learned along the way.

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert will be the first one to say that much of his success was due to his offensive line. The group literally grew with Herbert in the program.

But then when it was time to leave, they all left. What remained in 2020 was talented, but extremely young and inexperienced, which showed at times. Oregon’s run game wasn’t as explosive, and suddenly the Ducks quarterback, either Tyler Shough and Anthony Brown, was scrambling more than usual.

[lawrence-related id=712]

Now it’s a year later and the offensive line is still together, ready to show that some hard lessons were learned and those lessons are going to be put to use this coming season.

This young group has always had the necessary size to be successful, but in 2021, the offensive line has experience in the back pocket. No one will be happier to play with the new and improved line than Brown and the tailbacks.

CJ Verdell insists he has a chance to rush for 2,000 yards this season and that goal would be silly to have unless the correct offensive line was in place.

It all begins with the center, Alex Forsyth. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder from West Lynn, Ore. went from playing in just five games in 2019 to being a second-team all-conference selection by the Pac-12 coaches.

Manning the left side of the line will most likely be George Moore at tackle and TJ Bass at guard. Moore, a senior from Antioch, Calif. stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 325 pounds. Despite being named as the No. 1 junior college offensive lineman after the 2016 season, he hasn’t been able to find consistent playing time until last season.

Bass is another junior college transfer that didn’t see significant playing time until 2020. The 6-foot-5, 318-pound junior from Deming, Wash. made the most of his opportunity last season and was named as an honorable mention by the Pac-12 coaches.

Andy Nelson/The Register-Guard

On the right side of the center will be junior Ryan Walk and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. Walk is a Eugene native from Sheldon High School and has seen firsthand how good the Herbert brothers are. He’s not so bad himself. At 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, the media named him as an all-conference selection in 2020. As for Aumavae-Laulu, the 6-foot-6, 325-pounder from Hilo, Hawaii was a second-team all-Pac-12 player last season after redshirting the 2019 season.

Not only is the offensive line group experienced, but it’s deep as well. The Ducks have several big men who will fight for playing time, beginning with Steven Jones and Dawson Jaramillo.

Jones is a mammoth human being at 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds. The Temecula, Calif. native was in the regular rotation of linemen last season and he should expect that not to change anytime soon.

The 6-foo5-5, 303-pounder Jaramillo, a Portland, Ore. native, should also expect to see some regular playing time in his sophomore season.

Someone who might be able to break through fairly quickly is true freshman Kingley Suamataia from Orum, Utah. At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, Suamataia was a five-star recruit and rated as a top 25 player and one of the best offensive linemen in the country. He was also named to the second-team All-USA High School Football Preseason Team by USA Today.

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JuJu Smith-Schuster does his part to help USC with OL recruit

Former USC Trojans receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster participated in a TikTok video from class of 2021 recruit Kingsley Suamataia.

As much as head coach Clay Helton and his staff do everything they can to recruit high-profile high school athletes to come to USC, sometimes they need a little extra help.

For Kingsley Suamataia, the No. 10 offensive tackle recruit in the country according to 247Sports, they managed to get that help from none other than Steelers wide receiver and USC alumni JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Smith-Schuster participated in a viral TikTok video posted by Suamataia for the #BigMenCanDance challenge:

Smith-Schuster shared the video as well, using his now trademarked phrase “It’s litty” and giving him a good-natured “Fight On!”

The Trojans are still behind the Oregon Ducks in recruiting Suamataia’s services, with nearly all major outlets predicting the four-star tackle from Orem (UT) will end up in Eugene.

While the Trojans do have commitments from a pair of three-star linemen in the class of 2021; Maximus Gibbs and Saia Mapakaitolo, they are still on the hunt for a big name piece to add to that class – and Suamataia would be just what the doctor ordered.

Perhaps Smith-Schuster’s magic will help convince the big man to dance his way down to southern California to join the Trojans.

USC recruiting: Kingsley Suamataia names Trojans among top-7

The USC Trojans have struggled to pull in offensive line recruits, so the hope now rests with four-star tackle Kingsley Suamataia.

The USC Trojans have done a good job of recruiting all over the gridiron in the class of 2021 – hence why the class is among the top-7 in the country.

However, the Trojans have struggled at one key position: offensive line. They have three new OL joining them in the class of 2021, but all are three-star prospects.

They struck out on a pair of four-stars, Tristan Leigh and Rayshaun Benny, and are now resting their hopes on Orem (Utah) Kingsley Suamataia, who listed the Trojans among his top-7 in a tweet on Saturday evening.

USC is joined by Oregon, Utah, BYU, Utah State, Arkansas and Virginia on Suamataia’s top-seven.

Suamataia is the No. 72 overall prospect in 247Sports’ rankings, coming in at No. 9 among offensive tackles. Their composite rankings have him No. 58 overall, so it’s clear he would be a huge get for the Trojans if they can pry him away from the Ducks – although his relationship with the Sewell family makes it difficult to imagine him going anywhere else.