Duck fan favorite and Rimington Award winner proves again to be the ultimate team guy

When Jackson Powers-Johnson was a freshman offensive guard at Oregon in 2021, the Ducks ran short of defensive linemen for the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma, so he switched positions for the bowl game. "I'll play quarterback if they need me to," he said.

JPJ went on to start for two seasons as the center for Bo Nix, earning Unanimous All-American and the Rimington Award as a junior, drafted in the second round by the Las Vegas Raiders. He made the Pro Football Writer's Association All-Rookie team in 2024.

Pete Carroll took over as Raiders coach this offseason, bringing in former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly as his offensive coordinator. In camp it became clear that Jordan Meredith, a four-year pro from Western Kentucky, fit best at the center position at 6-2, 301, undersized for an NFL guard.

So Powers-Johnson agreed to slide over to guard, next to right tackle DJ Glaze. The former Duck won the starting job over veteran Alex Cappa.

Carroll told the media, “JPJ is getting more comfortable, he continues to be really physical at the spot and he’s a strong and powerful guy so he’s making progress. …But as soon as Alex is ready to go, he’ll be battling again and get jumped back in there.”

A four-star recruit from Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, Powers-Johnson is part of a long line of Duck centers to have success in the league, a group that includes Max Unger, Hroniss Grasu, Jake Hanson, Powers-Johnson, and may soon include Rimington Award candidate Iapani Laloulu, the starting center since JPJ left for the Senior Bowl.