Depth Chart Deep Dive: Oregon right tackles

With spring ball in the rearview, and the transfer portal closed, we’re beginning to get an idea of what Oregon’s depth chart might look like in 2023.

Since the end of the 2022 regular season, Dan Lanning’s program added 14 players via the portal while 30 former Ducks opted to seek opportunities elsewhere.

As we near the start of fall camp, the ScoopDuck staff is taking an in-depth, position-by-position look at the Oregon roster.

Next up, the right tackle position.

QuarterbackRunning BackX-ReceiverZ-RecieverSlot ReceiverTight End

Spring Synopsis

For the first time since 2019, Oregon is preparing to open its season without Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu as its starting right tackle.

Aumavae-Laulu, a two-time honorable mention all-conference selection, has been a mainstay for the Ducks since he joined the program. He has exhausted his eligibility and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2023 NFL Draft, and now Oregon will need to find his replacement.

In order to account for the loss of their three-year starter, the Ducks made two major transfer portal additions.

Former Rhode Island standout Ajani Cornelius was one of the top players available in the portal during the offseason — The Athletic listed him as its top-ranked offensive lineman. In 2022, Cornelius graded out as Pro Football Focus’s seventh-best tackle in the nation among FBS and FCS players.

The Ducks also added George Silva, a former Fullerton College standout who was one of the more heavily-recruited JUCO offensive linemen in the nation.

Projected Starter

Cornelius is expected to be a day-one starter for Oregon at right tackle.

While the Ducks boasted one of the best offensive lines in the nation in 2022, you could argue that no member of that group was as talented as Cornelius. There’s a reason Ohio State, Tennessee, Nebraska, and countless other schools were vying to sign him; at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, he’s a gifted athlete who could begin to appear on NFL Draft boards next fall.

Throughout the spring, Oregon’s players and coaches described Cornelius as an ultra-competitive player. That sentiment rang true during an April media availability when Cornelius was asked to describe his early impressions of Dan Lanning’s program.

“Early on, it was obvious that the level of competition had risen,” Cornelius said. “And that forced me to raise my level of competition, which ultimately was what I wanted. It’s been a great thing for me. I feel like I keep on growing as a player because of it.”

Other than injury, what can change?

While it would be surprising if Cornelius doesn’t lock down the starting job at right tackle during fall camp, Silva could still be an impactful addition for the Ducks in 2023.

He played exclusively as a left tackle at Fullerton College but operated as a right tackle with the Ducks this spring. His positional versatility could be key for Oregon as it looks to replace both starting tackles from last year’s group.

At 6-foot-7, 295 pounds, Silva was tabbed by On3 as the eight-best JUCO prospect in the country last winter. Even if he doesn’t open the 2023 season as a starter for the Ducks, he’ll be one their more pivotal reserve offensive linemen.

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