How are we going to finish up?

[dthomas=ddixon]

Yea, gonna disagree with the folks who say it doesn't matter and that OL are more inaccurately scouted than other positions. I've seen no data to support that idea. Like any position, you can win a lot of games with a middle tier offensive line, but you simply won't win it all when you have SEC defensive lines busting through. You need future NFL dudes.

I don’t have the data on hand but it’s been discussed in other threads, maybe on TOS. Many future nfl dudes are 3*s.

[Duck07]

Yea, gonna disagree with the folks who say it doesn't matter and that OL are more inaccurately scouted than other positions. I've seen no data to support that idea. Like any position, you can win a lot of games with a middle tier offensive line, but you simply won't win it all when you have SEC defensive lines busting through. You need future NFL dudes.

I don’t have the data on hand but it’s been discussed in other threads, maybe on TOS. Many future nfl dudes are 3*s.

I think both statements can be true that OL recruiting matters and OL are inaccurately scouted. Jim Michalczik certainly speaks to the fact that less talented OL can be coached into quality players.

Unger is the 3* that always comes to my mind. Freshman AA at LT and then in the NFL had one of the lowest career penalty rates for an OL, up there with Walter Jones.

Ben Bartch from Salem is going to start at LG today for JAX and while he's not breaking down any All-Pro team doors, he was a 6-6 225# TE in HS.

I really wish that scouting services would track 4 tests for HS OL that NFL scouts look for. Vertical (30"), Broad Jump (9'), Bench Press (29) and Short Shuttle (4.5) as those are the 4 tests that will tell you if an OL has the physical makeup to be an NFL OL against NFL DL.

[OregonFan4Life]

Yea, gonna disagree with the folks who say it doesn't matter and that OL are more inaccurately scouted than other positions. I've seen no data to support that idea. Like any position, you can win a lot of games with a middle tier offensive line, but you simply won't win it all when you have SEC defensive lines busting through. You need future NFL dudes.

Totally agree, Georgia win two natties in a row with an average QB and WR group, they won because of their dominant OLine and front seven. Losing out on both Baker and Rush will limit this team’s immediate growth/success IMO.

[dthomas=ddixon]

Yea, gonna disagree with the folks who say it doesn't matter and that OL are more inaccurately scouted than other positions. I've seen no data to support that idea. Like any position, you can win a lot of games with a middle tier offensive line, but you simply won't win it all when you have SEC defensive lines busting through. You need future NFL dudes.

I don’t have the data on hand but it’s been discussed in other threads, maybe on TOS. Many future nfl dudes are 3*s.

I think both statements can be true that OL recruiting matters and OL are inaccurately scouted. Jim Michalczik certainly speaks to the fact that less talented OL can be coached into quality players.

Unger is the 3* that always comes to my mind. Freshman AA at LT and then in the NFL had one of the lowest career penalty rates for an OL, up there with Walter Jones.

Ben Bartch from Salem is going to start at LG today for JAX and while he's not breaking down any All-Pro team doors, he was a 6-6 225# TE in HS.

I really wish that scouting services would track 4 tests for HS OL that NFL scouts look for. Vertical (30"), Broad Jump (9'), Bench Press (29) and Short Shuttle (4.5) as those are the 4 tests that will tell you if an OL has the physical makeup to be an NFL OL against NFL DL.

Agreed. That’s what was discussed before; the scouting services just aren’t very good at projecting OL players so often times the 3* that the coaches really like has a higher chance of turning into an NFL guy than the 4 or 5* the scouting services like. And the data suggest that that incongruity is unique to OL players.

I’m definitely not arguing that we don’t need blue chip OL, just that when it come to that position you can produce elite lines and future NFL players with a mix of blue chips and 3*s in a way you can’t with other positions.

[dthomas=ddixon]

Yea, gonna disagree with the folks who say it doesn't matter and that OL are more inaccurately scouted than other positions. I've seen no data to support that idea. Like any position, you can win a lot of games with a middle tier offensive line, but you simply won't win it all when you have SEC defensive lines busting through. You need future NFL dudes.

Totally agree, Georgia win two natties in a row with an average QB and WR group, they won because of their dominant OLine and front seven. Losing out on both Baker and Rush will limit this team’s immediate growth/success IMO.

You’re arguing a point no one is making. The argument is around how elite offensive lines are built. We all agree that we need elite lines.

[StevensTechU]

Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame are consistently great offensive lines. They also consistently recruit great at offensive line. I don't think that's a coincidence.

There will always be anecdotes of exceptions. I could go on for days about defensive players, quarterbacks, etc who were lowly rated and turned into all-pros.

I'll also add that it's not just the recruiting services I'm looking at. I think Ferguson is the second best OL recruit, and I think our top rated OL recruit (and highest rated recruit overall) is the second coming of Christopher Randazzo. I think for the size of OL class we're taking, it's just not very good and would greatly benefit having Baker.

[OregonFan4Life]

Yes a lot of great OLineman start off as 3 stars and end up as NFL studs, but there are also the “can’t miss” prospects, guys who are so talented and physically gifted that they’re are far more likely than not to succeed at the college and NFL levels, guys like KT and Penei Sewell. I believe Rushing and Baker are those type of prospects and would help take Oregon to the next level in terms of physicality.

Also unfortunately Texas winning in Tuscaloosa is gonna make it even harder to land Baker.

[StevensTechU]

I don't know what the draw is, but it seems like Nebraska could lead for Baker. They're the only ones with an official lined up.

[OregonFan4Life]

Oregon makes the final three for 5* DT Aydin Breeland along with Georgia and Miami. That’d be a huge get but with those two other schools it’ll be tough.

[jimmy12]

I don't know what the draw is, but it seems like Nebraska could lead for Baker. They're the only ones with an official lined up.

Baker is going to Texas.

[StevensTechU]

The state of Washington has five 4* players in the class of 2024, and Oregon could finish with three of them. They already have Brayden Platt and Fox Crader, and with the turmoil at Michigan State, are getting a visit from RB Jason Brown Jr this weekend. The other two kids are committed to Texas A&M and Michigan. uw currently has zero commits from the state.

[OregonFan4Life]

All crystal balls for Baker are for Texas, not looking good for the ducks. Losing Baker sucks as much as losing Rushing.

[OregonFan4Life]

Baker to Texas, huge bummer.

[bellsduck]

Yep. Very disappointed in this

[OregonFan4Life]

Yep. Very disappointed in this

At one point it looked like we were going to get Rushing, Baker, and Williams, such a bummer to miss out on all 3. Definitely won’t have a top 10 class.