“There’s still a lot of work to do”: Oregon HC Dan Lanning gets 100% real on the offensive line’s preparedness for 2025

One of the most impressive units in Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks is the offensive line. The room has recorded significant success since the coach arrived in Eugene, finishing as a finalist in the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the nation’s best offensive line, in the last two years.

In 2025, the Ducks will be missing a host of important pieces in the offensive line room from last year, which is a huge challenge. In his appearance on “Always College Football” on Thursday, Greg McElroy questioned Lanning on the preparedness of the offensive line. The coach was optimistic in his response.

“Last year, we had a lot of transition on that offensive line,” Lanning said (TS- 11:10). “And we were a Joe Moore Award finalist. We were a Joe Moore Award finalist the year before. We've done a really good job of protecting the quarterback. So again, there've been some standards that have been established with that group.

“They expect to have a 1,000-yard rusher. They expect to have a quarterback that throws for a lot of yards and be in contention for the Heisman at the end of the year. They take a lot of pride in that. They've been working really hard this offseason, but there's still a lot of work to do before we get to game one."

While the Ducks’ offensive line struggled early in 2024, it became a powerhouse in the ground game as the season progressed. The unit was led by Ajani Cornelius and Josh Conerly Jr., who have both transitioned to the NFL. Dan Lanning has, however, filled their spot with transfer portal acquisitions and freshman recruits.

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Dan Lanning says the offensive line room is competitive heading into the fall camp

With a few returning starters on Oregon's offensive line, the starting roles in the unit are up for grabs among the current options. Dan Lanning explained to Greg McElroy what the competition looks like in the room despite having new faces.

“It's extremely competitive right now,” Lanning said (TS- 10:55). “The guys worked really hard. What I love about our offensive line here is that they work really well together. On the teams you've been on, I'm sure it's very similar. The O-line group is always a really tight-knit group, and we have a group that's really a tight-knit group.”

Oregon brought in Isaiah World, Emmanuel Pregnon and Alex Harkey via the transfer portal this offseason, and the trio is projected to earn a starting role next season. Dan Lanning is also expected to give opportunities to freshmen Ziyare Addison and Demetri Manning.