Skip to main content

Oregon offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius announces plans for 2024 season

Jarrid Denneyby:Jarrid Denney01/07/24

jarrid_denney

Ajani Cornelius
© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon starting right tackle Ajani Cornelius is coming back for his senior season with the Ducks.

On Sunday, Cornelius announced via an Instagram post that he will return for the 2024 season, rather than enter the NFL Draft.

After beginning his career at Rhode Island, Cornelius transferred to Oregon last offseason and started all 13 games at right tackle for the Ducks in 2023. He was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection and played 899 snaps in 14 games. His PFF pass-blocking grade of 85.2 was the third-best among the Ducks’ offensive linemen.

Cornelius allowed just 11 pressures on the season.

As a high school recruit in 2020, Cornelius was not rated by any notable recruiting outlets. After two standout seasons at Rhode Island, though, he was tabbed by On3 as the No. 8 overall player and No. 1 offensive lineman in the 2023 transfer cycle.

More on Oregon’s offseason outlook

Few programs in all of college football experienced a greater amount of transfer portal activity than Oregon did during the 2023 cycle.

A total of 30 Oregon scholarship players entered the portal during the previous two transfer windows — 21 in the winter and nine in the spring. Meanwhile, the Ducks added 14 scholarship players during that same period.

Many of their portal additions — including receiver Tez Johnson, cornerback Khyree Jackson, safety Evan Williams, and right tackle Ajani Cornelius — locked down starting jobs and played key roles during the 2023 season.

This offseason, Oregon will once again look for opportunities to improve its roster by way of the portal.

While speaking with reporters during a Fiesta Bowl media availability on Dec. 3, Oregon coach Dan Lanning was asked which players he expects to enter the portal during the offseason.

“There will certainly be some announcements. I think that’s going to exist on every single team,” Lanning said. “I’ve talked to those guys individually. On the same note, that’s their opportunity to be able to announce that. So I think you’ll see some guys that aren’t with us anymore. And they’ve been phenomenal here for the Ducks, and wishing them nothing but the best. But out of respect for them, I’m going to give them the opportunity to make that announcement.”

Track transfer portal activity

While the NCAA transfer portal database is private, the On3 Network has streamlined the reporting process tracking player movement.

If you find yourself asking, ‘How can I track transfer portal activity?’ our well-established network of reporters and contacts across college athletics keeps you up to speed in several ways, from articles written about players as they enter and exit the transfer portal or find their new destination, to our social media channels, to the On3 Transfer Portal.

The transfer portal wire provides a real-time feed of player activity, including basic player profile information, transfer portal ranking and original On3 Industry recruiting ranking, as well as NIL valuation (name, image and likeness).

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

You may also like