The 2020 season can be considered a success for Oregon football despite going just 4-3 with a Fiesta Bowl loss to Iowa State. The Ducks still won a second straight Pac-12 title but expectations are on the rise heading into 2021.
Oregon is one of the most talented teams in the country despite losing a handful of talent to the NFL such as Jevon Holland and Penei Sewell but both did opt out of the 2020 campaign.
Mario Cristobal brings in the No. 6 recruiting class in the country and his roster is arguably the most talented in school history. Talent is on the rise at most positions.
Which position groups will be better and worse than their 2020 versions?
Offensive line
Better or worse (than 2020): Slightly better
I know what you might be thinking, how the heck can Oregon’s offensive line be better in 2021 without Penei Sewell on the roster? But some people have forgotten that he opted out of the 2020 season in order to prepare for the NFL draft and his last game with the Ducks was in 2019.
So when you look at the returning pieces on the offensive line, the Ducks bring back four starters and could have an opening at tackle but Steven Jones looks like the right guy for the job.
Seventh-year (not a typo) lineman George Moore returns as the projected starter at left tackle and while that might seem concerning, he’s backed up by one of the top recruits in the 2021 class in five-star Kingsley Suamataia so that’s an immediate two-deep upgrade.
Plus, TJ Bass and Alex Forsyth are back with another year of experience under their belts on the interior and they should be even better.
Add in Bram Walden, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Noah Miller to the mix and the Ducks have abetter and deeper offensive line in 2021.