Oregon made headlines in January when it stepped away from the high-stakes recruitment of blue-chip offensive tackle Jordan Seaton after the bidding reportedly hit the $3 million mark. But while the Ducks bowed out of that arms race, they may have already had their future anchor up front in the building.
Enter Immanuel Iheanacho - a five-star mauler out of Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, Maryland. At 6-foot-7, 375 pounds with 36-inch arms, an eye-popping 7-foot-2.5 wingspan, and 11-inch hands, he’s a physical specimen who looks like he was built in a lab for trench warfare.
Ranked No. 5 nationally in the ESPN 300, Iheanacho isn’t just size and potential - he’s production, too. He dominated elite talent at the Under Armour All-America Bowl, showing off the blend of raw power and athleticism that makes scouts drool.
While Seaton and his camp took a more transactional approach - shopping his services across the country in search of the biggest NIL payday - Iheanacho chose a different path. He picked development.
He picked culture. He picked Oregon.
And that’s what’s quietly becoming the hallmark of the Ducks’ offensive line strategy: a long-term, values-driven approach that prioritizes evaluation, development, and cohesion over quick fixes and splashy headlines.
That strategy was on display again this week when Oregon added two more promising pieces to its offensive line pipeline: 6-foot-6, 280-pound four-star Drew Fielder from Servite High School (Whittier, CA), and 6-foot-6, 290-pound three-star Avery Michael from Turlock High School (Turlock, CA). Both are long, athletic tackles who fit the Ducks’ mold - high-upside players with the frame, traits, and mindset to grow into future starters.
“NFL development was huge for me and I can get that at Oregon,” Michael told Rivals. Fielder echoed that sentiment, saying simply, “I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
That kind of thinking reflects what Oregon has built - and is continuing to build - in the trenches. Think back to how the Ducks’ offensive line performed during the grind of last season.
Not just the end result, but the 12-game march to the College Football Playoff and the two postseason wins that followed. Whether it was the hostile environment of the White Out game, the bruising 18-16 slugfest at Kinnick Stadium, or the physical beatdown of USC at Autzen, the line held strong.
Despite injuries, crowd noise, and pressure-packed moments, the unit stayed disciplined - few false starts, minimal communication breakdowns, and consistent execution. Against a rugged Iowa front, they pounded out 261 rushing yards.
Against Penn State in double overtime, they held up under fire. Against USC, they imposed their will to the tune of 179 yards on the ground, averaging 4.4 yards a carry with three touchdowns - and they did it with depth, rotating in players like Fox Crader, Trent Ferguson, and Kawika Rogers off the bench.
That kind of performance doesn’t happen by accident. It takes time, chemistry, and a shared commitment to the process. And it takes players who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
This offseason, Oregon saw 30 players exit through the transfer portal. Just one of them was an offensive lineman.
That tells you everything you need to know about the culture in that room. The rest stayed - locked in to the vision, bought in to the plan.
And that plan keeps rolling. With Iheanacho, Tommy Tofi, Koloi Keli, and now Fielder and Michael joining the fold, the Ducks are stacking talent that fits their blueprint: big, physical linemen who are willing to be developed and who align with the program’s core values. Even when Oregon dips into the transfer portal, the standard doesn’t change.
Take Michael Bennett, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound right tackle from Yale. He didn’t come with a ton of hype - just a three-star rating - but he brings something Oregon covets: production and discipline.
Bennett was a two-time All-Ivy League selection who allowed just two sacks and nine pressures across 800+ snaps last season. He committed just one penalty all year.
That’s the kind of résumé that fits right in with what the Ducks are building.
Oregon isn’t just trying to win now - though make no mistake, they’re built to compete today. But what separates them is how they’re setting themselves up for sustained success. By identifying high school prospects with the right traits and mindset, and supplementing with transfers who match that same profile, they’re building not just a line - but a legacy.
And in the trenches, that’s how you win championships.