Oregon’s offensive line picture is still cloudy with fall camp about to open, and Dan Lanning isn’t pretending otherwise. With 24 hours until camp begins in Eugene, the Ducks coach said the only real certainty up front is that Iapani Laloulu and Dave Iuli have logged “significant snaps” in the program. Beyond that, the competition is wide open.
August, Lanning said, will be “huge” in sorting out the best five. If the job still isn’t settled by the Sept. 6 opener, he expects a rotation could spill into the season.
“It’s huge, and still nothing is determined,” Lanning said of the month of August. “Being able to see how that all comes together is where there’s a real benefit to how we mix the groups and change things up. We can see a lot of guys in a lot of different settings.
“This year could look a lot like that, where you have six, seven or even eight guys rotating as players. Their roles can grow throughout the season based on how they perform in those roles.”
That approach has been embraced inside the room. Fox Crader, widely viewed as the leading candidate at left tackle, said the message is simple: the best five will get on the field.
“The best five are going to play. That’s [A’lique Terry’s] motto.
That’s what we live by,” Crader said. “We try to keep our egos aside and put the team first.
The best five are going to play and it’s going to show in practice.”
Crader is one of three players who could make their first full-time college starts on the line for Oregon. Lanning said those opportunities were earned, and the staff chose development over bringing in plug-and-play transfers from the portal.
“We’ve attracted some really good players who we have confidence in and who we think can make a big impact, and it’s a really hard position to make an immediate impact at,” Lanning said. “We had a lot of confidence in the guys in that room. We didn’t feel like we needed to reach, as long as we continue developing that talent.”
The Ducks are also getting reinforcements back into the mix. Iuli has returned after the tricep tear he suffered against Texas Tech, and Gernorris Wilson expects to practice fully this week for the first time since breaking his foot last November against Iowa.
“Just to get here. That was my main goal, to get back, honestly,” Wilson said on Monday.
“I’m grateful to be back and put my foot down and get to work... Let the best five win.”
Wilson, Crader and Yale transfer Michael Bennett III are the more experienced tackle options in the group. Crader and Wilson each started one game last season, while Bennett brings nearly three-dozen starts from the Ivy League level.
But the list doesn’t stop there. Redshirt freshman Ziyare Addison could also enter the mix at left tackle, and true freshmen Immanuel Iheanacho and Tommy Tofi have a shot to become unusual first-year starters on the line.
“Those dudes are elite. They’re going to bring a lot of fire to the team,” Laloulu said Monday.
“Tommy, I’ve seen a lot of growth since he’s been here. It’s been pretty cool to see where he used to be where he’s at now.”
Laloulu said the energy in the group stands out, especially from players who have been waiting for their chance.
“I see a lot of hungry dudes who are ready to play and ready to take initiative. Whenever their names are called, they’ll be ready,” he said. “I like the fire that they’re bringing and the juice they’re bringing every single day from the moment they stepped on campus.”
Oregon has built one of the nation’s top offensive lines over the last three seasons, landing as a Joe Moore Award finalist each year. Iuli believes this group can keep that standard going and maybe even raise it.
“I think we’re going to keep on stepping forward,” he said. “We have a lot of guys last year who were young, and I feel like a lot of guys are growing up right now.
They’re about to be a big impact in our year this year. I feel like a lot of guys grew up, and as much as we went with transfers last year, I think coach Lanning was understanding that some guys weren’t ready, but it’s a whole different thing this year.
We have a lot of guys who are ready to go and take spots as well.”
In Other News...
Gernorris Wilson Just Reentered Oregons Tackle Battle
Gernorris Wilsons first start at right tackle was supposed to be a big step forward, a chance to see how the redshirt freshman fit into Oregons offensive line plans. Instead, the game turned quickly when he broke his foot and the injury wiped out the rest of his 2025 season, then kept him sidelined through spring practice as the Ducks kept sorting out the edge of their front.
Now Wilson is back in the conversation as fall camp approaches, and that alone gives Oregon another live competition to watch on the line. He says he expects to be fully ready when camp opens, and he is open to lining up wherever he is needed, which should make him part of a crowded battle for a starting spot as the Ducks try to settle the tackle picture. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Just Raised The Stakes For Oregon's New-Look Offense
At Oregon media day, the conversation around the Ducks offense had a clear theme: continuity with a twist. Offensive lineman Kawika Rogers had praise for new coordinator Drew Mehringer, and Dan Lanning underscored the value of keeping things in-house when staff changes hit. The message was that Oregon is not starting from scratch as it retools, even with a different voice guiding the unit.
Lanning also pointed to the running back room as a group that should help define the offense early, while outside linebacker Nasir Wyatt offered a snapshot of how the roster is changing physically this offseason. Wyatt talked about his own added weight and also noted teammate Matayo Uiagaleleis trimming down, a detail that caught attention because of the way it fits the Ducks broader push to get faster and more efficient across the board. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons New Quarterback Just Added Intrigue Behind Dante Moore
Dylan Raiolas arrival gives Oregon another layer at quarterback, even with Dante Moore clearly in line to lead the offense. After transferring from Nebraska, Raiola is working his way back from the broken ankle he sustained during his sophomore season, but he is healthy enough to take part in practice and begin settling into the Ducks system. For a program that has leaned on quarterback depth and development, adding a player with Raiolas starting experience is a meaningful move.
Raiola is expected to learn from behind Moore for now, which makes the transition as much about patience as it is about talent. He has already handled the pressure of being a starter at Nebraska, and now the task is adjusting to Oregons offense while finding a way to help in a reserve role. The bigger question is how quickly he can carve out a real place in the room, and whether his recovery and comfort level keep building from here. [Read more 🡒]