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Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson will begin spring ball on defense

Jarrid Denneyby:Jarrid Denney•02/02/22•

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Jackson Powers-Johnson
Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon has an ultra-versatile player who is capable of lining up virtually anywhere along the offensive line.

This spring, Dan Lanning will put that versatility to the test.

Powers-Johnson is coming off a strong true freshman season in which he made an impact at multiple spots on the Ducks’ O-line as they dealt with a flurry of injuries.

When spring ball kicks off, though, Lanning said Powers-Johnson will work with the defense.

“Jackson is gonna start off on defense for us this spring,” Lanning said Wednesday. “We’ll continue to evaluate that. Right now, Jackson is gonna be on defense, but always subject to change.”

The move doesn’t come as a total surprise, as Powers-Johnson, a former 4-star interior offensive line signee, played along the defensive line in the Ducks’ Alamo Bowl loss to Oklahoma in December due to a wave of injuries.

Later Wednesday, while speaking at Oregon’s signing day event in Eugene, Powers-Johnson was asked about his thoughts on a potential position switch, and which side of the ball he would prefer to play on.

“That’s up to my mom,” Powers-Johnson said with a laugh. “But no, I really don’t care. Whatever is best for the team. I love both — I played both in high school.

“I just like hitting people, being violent. So whatever gives me an opportunity to, I’ll go.”

In 2021, Powers-Johnson played 126 snaps along the offensive line and more than held his own. Pro Football Focus issued him a pass-blocking grade of 85.9 and an overall grade of 70.1.

Only T.J. Bass and Ryan Walk earned better grades among Oregon offensive linemen who played 100 or more snaps.

Oregon is set to return five starting offensive linemen who played a combined 3,346 snaps in 2021.

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