EUGENE — Alex Mirabal hasn’t faced a task this daunting before. During his 16 years as a high school coach, Oregon’s offensive line coach had to replace starters annually but nothing like filling the voids the Ducks have this offseason.
It was not unexpected of course. Oregon knew it was losing Shane Lemieux, Jake Hanson, Calvin Throckmorton, Brady Aiello and Dallas Warmack after last season; Lemieux and Hanson were drafted and Throckmorton and Aiello signed as undrafted free agents.
Penei Sewell was to be the massive pillar the rest of this year’s line was built around, but he opted out when the Pac-12 originally postponed all sports and understandably, the reigning Outland Trophy winner and presumptive top five pick in next year’s NFL Draft didn’t return after the conference reversed its decision.
So Oregon has a completely clean slate atop its depth chart and even with last season’s backups being groomed to take over, the circumstances presented amid the pandemic and possibility of contact tracing or COVID-19 tests reeking havoc on the best laid of football plans makes Mirabal’s task all the more challenging.
“It’s been fun because it’s a blank slate,” Mirabal said. “You start from scratch, you don’t assume that they know anything. It’s been really, really fun and as a teacher, that’s what I love to do. I love to teach, I love to guide so it’s been great and they’ve been sponges, they’ve been awesome. We just don’t have experience so what do you do, you go to go out and get the experience — go play. Other than that, from a work ethic standpoint, those other five guys last year didn’t work any harder than these guys, they didn’t lead any more or less than these guys are leading. It’s just the game experience.”
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After 11 practices, including one scrimmage, things remain somewhat fluid. Final positions still have to be determined and contingencies explored, but there’s also the reality that the entire 15-man offensive line group includes seven freshmen and some older players are clearly going to be in the starting lineup.
Steven Jones, T.J. Bass, Alex Forsyth, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, George Moore, Ryan Walk, Sam Poutasi and Dawson Jaramillo are vying for the starting and top backup spots and several have made impressions to their peers and the coaching staff.
“Those guys are very physical," running back CJ Verdell said. “They work hard, they take pride in doing the little things right. They’re all coming in getting extra work and if they have questions about things they’re staying after with coach Mirabal working on things after practice. Very dedicated group of guys.”
Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux benefited from facing off with Sewell last season. Now he’s doing the same for the new tackles.
“Big Steve, he’s going to be ready,” Thibodeaux said of Jones, who redshirted while playing four games last season. “I see him, Sala and George being the next guys at the tackle spots.”
Across the entire roster Forsyth has been praised for his leadership. Mirabal said the fourth-year junior has long been the most detailed note-taker in the offensive line room.
“He’s a really hard worker,” defensive tackle Austin Faoliu said of Forsyth, the favorite to start at center. “He’s been a guy that’s been putting in the work in the weight room, the film, I can see myself he’s trying his hardest to be that leader on the O-line. Another person is Ryan Walk. He might be a walk-on but I really think he should be one of the guys to get an offer because he’s a really talented player. He’s another hard-nosed player and he gets it done.”
Mario Cristobal said Bass reminds the staff of Lemieux, which is huge praise for a junior college transfer after so few practices in pads.
“Big, physical, explosive,” Cristobal said. “He is not one of these push-maul guys. This guy is a legitimate powerful, explosive, knock you back, finish you type of guy. But he’s very talented because he’s got great range and that’s why we’ve thrown him out there at tackle, which he’s played in junior college and he has excelled.”
Saturday’s second scrimmage will go a long way to solidifying the starting five. And in 2020, the next five may be just as important.
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