Tag: on3.com

Ajani Cornelius named to first-team All-Transfer Portal ahead of 2023 season

Offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius is one of the top offensive players to land in Eugene via the transfer portal for 2023.

In the last five years or so, the transfer portal has become as important to roster building as recruiting and scouting out the top prep talent out there. It’s become a source to acquire talent and to shore up holes quickly on a football team.

Oregon, like most schools, has utilized this tool as well as anyone and while Dan Lanning has been in Eugene, the portal has been used to get defensive talent such as Christian Gonzalez. As soon as he said he was leaving Colorado and coming to be a Duck, the attitude of defense changed almost overnight.

On the offensive side, quarterback Bo Nix has made all the difference in the world and the Ducks are hoping a similar outcome will occur with former Rhode Island offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius.

That so-called acquisition has turned enough heads as to where the 6-foot-4, 315-pounder from Harlem, NY was named to the first-team All Transfer Portal, according to On3.com. This is what writer Jesse Simonton had to say about Cornelius.

An unranked prospect out of high school, Cornelius has skyrocketed up NFL Draft boards after starting at right tackle the last two seasons at Rhode Island. (He) was among the most coveted transfers as a premium position this offseason.

The website also said mentioned edge rusher Jordan Burch was a top transfer for Oregon on the defensive side of the ball. Of course not all transfers can be mentioned, but wide receivers Tez Johnson (Troy) and Traeshon Holden (Alabama) both looked good in the Ducks Spring Game this past April and linebacker Jestin Jacobs (Iowa) could also be a difference-maker in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Bo Nix notably missing from list of potential Heisman winners in 2023

Are there 9 QBs in the nation better than Bo Nix in 2023? That apparently is up for debate at this point, though we don’t agree.

We don’t like to criticize other publications, including online ones such as DucksWire. It’s a difficult space and competition is tough. We all work hard at what we do and try to be as knowledgeable about the sports we cover.

Unfortunately, when there is a glaring omission in Top 10 lists that are put out, we feel it’s important to point out the error of their ways, especially when omissions are certain Oregon Duck players.

This occurred when our buddies at On3.com came up with their Top 10 Heisman candidates. There are the usual suspects such as USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

On this list, there are nine quarterbacks and receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. from Ohio State, who might actually win the award this season.

Not on the list is Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. Essentially. they’re saying there are nine better quarterbacks in the country than the Ducks’ QB1.

It’s difficult to believe after the season last year Nix turned in that there are nine better quarterbacks than him. If we have to include Nix, someone, or more than one, needs to be dropped off that list like a bad habit.

The first obvious choice is Clemson sophomore signal caller Cade Klubnik, who was No. 9 on the list. He had a grand total of 100 pass attempts last season. Klubnik is projected to be the starter for the Tigers, but he hasn’t accomplished anything or enough to say he’s better than Nix.

Michigan’s JJ McCarthy is No. 4 had a nice season for the Wolverines and led them to the College Football Playoffs, but statistically, he’s not better than Nix, who had more yards, touchdowns, and a better completion percentage than McCarthy.

The last “questionable” player on the list is LSU and former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels. He had a good, but not great, season for the Tigers in 2022. He’s also a fifth-year senior that has a grand total of 49 career touchdowns. In comparison, Nix had 44 total touchdowns last season alone.

It’s generally accepted that Nix is going to have a monster season for Oregon in 2023 provided he stays healthy. He’s never had this many and as talented of weapons as he will with the 2023 Ducks. Oregon might have the best receiving corps in the Pac-12 with Troy Franklin, Kris Hutson, Traeshon Holden, Tez Johnson plus tight ends such as Patrick Herbert and Terrance Ferguson (assuming he’s healthy in the fall).

Oregon’s running backs can also catch the ball out of the backfield. Nix had 3,593 yards last season and he could surpass that total in 2023.

Will Nix win the Heisman or even go to the ceremony in New York? Probably not. But to think there are nine quarterbacks ahead of him is ludicrous and should provide even more motivation for Oregon’s fifth-year senior to dominate in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Several Ducks get snubbed in On3 Top 100 ranking

Bo Nix is ranked highly among the top 100 players in 2023. What about the other Ducks?

The Pac-12 is primed to be one of the best conferences not named the SEC for the 2023 college football season. Recruiting has been at an all-time high in the past several seasons and the talent pool in the Pac-12 shows it.

Teams such as Oregon, USC and even Washington match up well with any program in the country where pure talent is concerned. On3.com went ahead and ranked the Top 100 players in college football and the Pac-12 is represented favorably.

But there were some glaring snubs when it comes to Oregon. Quarterback Bo Nix is ranked 13th overall. That’s it for Oregon. No Troy Franklin. No Jordan Burch.

Here are the Pac-12 players listed with their 2022 stats and the Ducks we felt that had a legitimate case to be included in the ranking.

Where Dan Lanning stands among Pac-12 coaches according to latest rankings

Do you think that Dan Lanning is fairly ranked among the Pac-12 coaches in this most recent poll?

Like movies, television, or any work of art, it’s all subjective. So are rankings. It all depends on what criteria one uses to develop those rankings. We may agree or disagree. That’s what makes rankings fun. It makes for an interesting discussion.

And this particular ranking might provide some of that “interesting discussion.”

As we get set for spring ball to resume in Eugene, On3 recently put out a ranking of the top coaches in the Pac-12 conference. The criteria used by Jesse Simonton included recent performance, recruiting, hiring ability, NFL track record when it comes to players, and ability to work the transfer portal.

For the most part, it would seem that Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning checks most of if not all of those boxes early on in his tenure with the Ducks. So where does that land him on the ranking of Pac-12 coaches?

Let the debate begin.

Oregon’s linebackers ranked among the Top 10 in the nation

With Noah Sewell and Justin FLowe leading the way, Oregon’s linebacking group ranks among the nation’s best in 2022.

The 2022 college football season could be the year of the linebacker as there are many linebackers across the country that have NFL scouts salivating over their potential.

Our friends over at On3.com have ranked the Top 10 linebacker groups in the country, and the Ducks represent themselves quite well among teams such as Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame.

The linebacker spot should be a strength for the Ducks. Under the tutelage of head coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, players such as Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe should go to the next level as far as on-the-field play is concerned.

We have the list below and we have included each player’s career stats. Unless Oregon meets Alabama in the College Football Playoff, thankfully the Ducks will not have to face Will Anderson, Jr, whose statistics fly off the chart.

Oregon does have to face Georgia, however, and although the Bulldogs lost a great deal of talent off last year’s national championship squad, they have the ability to replace that talent with more five-star recruits.

Offensive lineman Josh Conerly is one of the top true freshmen in college football

Oregon’s 5-star OT Josh Conerly was named to the true-freshman All American Team.

Oregon is expected to have an experienced offensive line in 2022, but as with all position groups, having depth is very important.

The Ducks have that depth along the O-line, which includes true freshman Josh Conerly Jr., one of the top recruits in the Class of 2022.

At 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds, the Seattle native was wanted by nearly everybody, including his hometown Washington Huskies. But Conerly decided to travel down I-5 and be a Duck instead.

Ahead of his freshman season, Conerly is in elite company, named by On3 as a true freshman All-American.

This is what On3.com said on Conerly:

Oregon has sustained a rash of injuries along the offensive line with approximately half of the Ducks’ 14 scholarship players at the position missing time (in the past). That’s created an opportunity for Josh Conerly Jr. to step up as a potential true freshman starter in Eugene. (He) has been working with the first unit. It remains to be seen how things will shake out when and if the health at the position improves, but Conerly’s chances of starting will likely increase the longer this goes. The Seattle Rainier Beach product was among the headliners in Dan Lanning’s first signing class at Oregon and ranked as the No. 40 overall prospect in the 2022 On3 Consensus.

Of course, Conerly is yet to take a snap of college football, and there is currently an uphill battle for him to earn playing time with a veteran group of returning linemen in Eugene. Regardless, it’s pretty clear early on that the former 5-star recruit is going to have an entertaining career with the Ducks.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=27518]

Oregon’s ‘Division Street’ NIL collective ranked as one of nation’s most ambitious

The Oregon Ducks are always near the forefront of change. Their NIL collective ‘Division Street’ ranks among the most ambitious in the nation.

Over the past couple of years, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules have changed American college sports forever. It’s been a rougher transition for some universities than others.

Groups called NIL Collectives have popped up rather quickly. Oregon’s version is called Division Street. It’s no surprise that with the U of O’s relationship with Nike, the Ducks have handled the new landscape rather well.

According to On3.com sports, some collectives have been more ambitious than others and they have been able to rank the Top 20 collectives from around the country in terms of ambition.

This is partly what they said about Division Street:

Some of the brightest and most influential sports marketing minds around have helped determine the structure and direction of this Oregon-centric collective. That has enabled Division Street, in the words of one industry source, to “operate at a high efficiency” and foster long-term sustainability.

Here are the Top 10 collectives, according to On3:

Bennett Williams switches uniform number to honor Spencer Webb

Safety Bennett Williams has decided to change uniform numbers to honor his friend Spencer Webb.

We may not ever look at a No. 4 on an Oregon Ducks football uniform the same way again.

That was the number the late Spencer Webb planned to wear in the 2022 season after switching over from No. 18 in 2021. Bennett Williams will don No. 4 to honor his friend who was lost to a tragic accident at Triangle Lake last week.

Switching uniform numbers from one season to another is a common occurrence in college football. But obviously, this has extra special meaning for Williams as well as the rest of the Ducks.

Not only did the Oregon safety switch to No. 4 on his chest and back, but Williams will also have that 4 forever as he had it tattooed on his arm. As one more thing to remember Webb, Williams changed his Twitter handle to @bennettw04.

In an article on On3.com, Williams had this to say about his buddy.

I’m so glad I got to really see and know Spencer like family. On my birthday this year, Spence spent the entire day with me, and made it one of the most memorable times of my life. We had times in which we fought and times in which we battled through struggle side by side, and that brought us closer than ever. I know you’ll continue to show us the way Spence, one way or another, with that light that shines inside you. Yesterday, you told me you had to tell me something. I’ll come hear you out soon.  I love you brother!

[vertical-gallery id=26163]

Offensive lineman Jaylan Jeffers enters the transfer portal

Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Jaylan Jeffers has decided to enter the transfer portal and play elsewhere.

According to a report from Matt Zenitz on On3.com sports, backup offensive lineman Jaylan Jeffers has decided to leave Oregon and enter the transfer portal.

At 6-foot-5 and nearly 300 pounds, Jeffers was a three-star recruit from Scottsdale, Ariz. in the Class of 2020.

Jeffers was a top 20 prospect in Arizona by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports and rated as the No. 2 offensive tackle in Arizona and No. 11 prospect in the state by ESPN and 247Sports.

He didn’t receive any game action in 2020 during the shortened pandemic season and redshirted for the 2021 season. The offensive line depth chart is overloaded as there are 13 linemen currently on scholarship for the Ducks.

Oregon is currently in spring camp and preparing for the annual spring game April 23.