Bo Nix evaluates what he’s seen from new-look offensive line

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is going to be lining up behind a fairly new offensive line come the Ducks’ season opener this year against Portland State. Four starters last season — Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, T.J. Bass, Alex Fosyth and Ryan Walk — declared for the NFL Draft.

The team also has a new offensive line coach in A’lique Terry.

Young offensive lines are always a question mark in the college football world but Nix doesn’t believe the new guys won’t be able to step up in their roles.

“They’re dialed in,” Nix said after a recent practice. “They’re serious. They’re going to pick up right where the guys left off last year. They’re hungry. They all want to be their own version of last year. They can be like that group, but they’re also gonna be different. They’re gonna have different ways to have new experiences and to grow themselves, but at the same time, I think their goal after watching last year, they want to get to where that group was.”

Marcus Harper II is the lone returning starter. However, Steven Jones is a former starter who missed last season due to injury. They also landed a big-time commitment from former Rhode Island tackle Ajani Cornelius as well as former Texas lineman Junior Angilau.

They will be led by a young up-and-coming coach in Terry. Terry played at Wake Forest from 2014-2017 and spent a year on staff in 2018. He then moved to Eugene as a graduate assistant for two years. Terry was the offensive line coach at Hawaii for one season before spending 2022 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Offensive line not the only difference for Bo Nix in Year 2 at Oregon

Bo Nix enters his second year at Oregon with high expectations. He is a Heisman candidate after a great 2022 season and the Ducks hope to take another step in the right direction after a 10-3 first year under head coach Dan Lanning.

Lanning said that Nix is in a different place as a leader this year and he thinks that is a big difference during spring camp for him.

“I had a long convo with Bo yesterday,” Lanning said. “There’s a big difference in where he is this year compared to where he was last year. It was kind of ‘earning the respect’ versus ‘he’s earned the respect.’ Now that leadership role is expected for Bo. Expect him to step and he has those traits.”