One Oregon Duck listed among ESPN’s top 50 newcomers — and three more who could have made it

Earlier this week, ESPN released its list of the top 50 newcomers in college football ahead of the 2023 season. The list featured players from the 2023 signing class, as well as those who joined new programs via the transfer portal.

Although Oregon spent the offseason overhauling its roster through the portal, the Ducks landed just one player on the list: EDGE Jordan Burch, a former 5-star signee who spent the past three seasons at South Carolina.

Here’s the rundown on Burch from ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren:

“Burch was the No. 4 prospect in the 2020 class and signed with South Carolina after a strange recruiting process. He got off to a slow start at South Carolina but had his best season in 2022 with 60 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He’s now playing for a defensive-minded coach in Dan Lanning and has an opportunity to help Oregon bring a pass rush element and a versatile defender upfront. If he can continue to improve, Burch should be a factor for the Ducks.”

Burch was one of 11 players who have joined Pac-12 programs to appear on the list. Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter landed at No. 1, Buffs’ quarterback Shedeur Sanders was No. 3. There were several ’23 signees listed who were heavily linked to Oregon during their recruitment, including South Carolina receiver Nyckoles Harbor (No. 30), UCLA quarterback Dante Moore (No. 36), and Oklahoma safety Peyton Bowen (No. 37).

Sticking with the theme of impact newcomers, here are three more Oregon first-year players who deserved consideration for ESPN’s list.

S Evan Williams

Former Fresno State standout Evan Williams might not have been Oregon’s gaudiest transfer portal addition. But he could prove to be one of the more impactful additions to Dan Lanning and Tosh Lupoi’s defense.

In 2022, Williams put his versatility on display and tallied 69 tackles and four pass deflections while spending significant time at nickel and both safety spots.

A preseason second-team all-conference selection, Williams is projected to start at boundary safety and could provide some much-needed physicality for the Ducks’ defense. Coaches and teammates have praised Williams for his football IQ and willingness to play “downhill.”

“Just how locked in he is to the game, always getting in extra work,” Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa said of Williams. “He’s around the ball a lot and he’s very physical as well.”

OL Ajani Cornelius

Oregon boasted one of the best offensive lines in the nation in 2022 but saw multi-year starters T.J. Bass, Ryan Walk, Alex Forsyth, and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu graduate at the end of last season.

But the coaching staff quickly re-loaded its offensive line room by adding a flurry of impact transfers that included Ajani Cornelius (Rhode Island), Junior Angilau (Texas), and Nishad Strother (East Carolina).

Cornelius has the highest ceiling of the bunch and could begin to skyrocket up NFL Draft boards if he produced a strong debut season with the Ducks.

On3 tabbed Cornelius as the No. 1 offensive lineman and No. 8 overall player available during the previous transfer cycle. He’s expected to start at right tackle for the Ducks, while sophomore Josh Conerly is slated to become the starting left tackle.

DE Matayo Uiagalelei

Oregon features an abundance of top-tier talent along the front seven, with Burch, Brandon Dorlus, Popo Aumavae, and Casey Rogers all expected to produce all-conference-caliber seasons.

But at this point, the Ducks are a bit thin on proven depth at edge defender.

In that sense, blue-chip freshman Matayo Uiagalelei is going to be an integral figure for Lanning and Lupoi’s defense this season.

The No. 40 overall prospect in the 2023 class, Uiagalelei has had a tremendous fall camp thus far. Teammates have spoken glowingly of his athleticism and his maturity as a pass-rusher.

“For a guy coming in as a freshman to be able to pick up the scheme like he has, once you know this scheme. … You’re gonna be able to play a lot faster,” Lanning said. “He has a lot of natural ability. But him picking that up, I think, that’s allowed him to kind of excel.”

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