Dan Lanning discusses Oregon's addition of Josh Conerly Jr.; "he's obviously a special player"
At long last on Saturday, Dan Lanning was able to officially confirm the addition of Josh Conerly Jr. and discuss the biggest signing of his Oregon tenure thus far.
Earlier this week, Oregon announced the signing of Conerly Jr., who committed to the Ducks last Friday and added a massive, massive boost to their 2022 signing class. The top remaining player in the ’22 class at the time he signed, Conerly Jr. is the top player from the state of Washington, the No. 5 offensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 40 overall player in the On3 Consensus rankings.
During his Saturday press conference, Lanning was asked about Conerly Jr. and the process of recruiting and signing him.
“I mean, super excited for him to be a part of our program,” Lanning said. “He’s obviously a special player and we think a special talent who can make an impact for us.”
Connerly would be a game-changing addition for any program in the country and chose Oregon over offers from USC, Michigan, Oklahoma, and countless others. For Oregon, though, he could have the chance to make an impact very early in his college career.
The Ducks return their entire starting offensive line from last season with Steven Jones, T.J. Bass, Alex Forsyth, Ryan Walk, and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu all back. But the talent behind them is relatively unproven, and the Ducks’ offensive line depth has taken a hit in recent seasons.
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Offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia was the gem of Oregon’s 2021 class but transferred away from the program midway through last season. Jonathan Denis, a former 4-star signee, and Jaylan Jeffers, a former 3-star, were big additions to the 2020 class, but both hit the transfer portal this spring.
Jackson Powers-Johnson is another uber-talented lineman from Oregon’s 2021 class and made an immediate impact as a true freshman last season. But he has been splitting time with the offense and defense this spring, and it’s unclear at this point which side of the ball he will play on — although, most recently, he’s been working with the offense.
In Connerly Jr., the Ducks have not only landed an elite prospect but one at a position that needed immediate bolstering.
“You need a certain amount to operate, but he’s not just a number by any means,” Lanning said. “He’s coming in to compete and be able to help us get better up front.”
