Oregon defensive line big, athletic and about to kick the Big Ten's butt

Oregon's updated heights and weights came out Friday, and they immediately reveal one thing: The Ducks are deep, physical and strong on the defensive line.

Wilson Love builds better bodies. Hired by Dan Lanning in January 2022 after the departure of Aaron Feld to Miami, Love spent two years as strength and conditioning coach at Ole Miss before coming to the Ducks, worked with Lanning previously at Alabama.

He earns $620,000 and he's worth every penny. Back in January he told the team, “Just so you know every Friday we’re going to be in AUTZEN STADIUM, and it’s game day, no matter the weather.”

He trains them year-round for performance and functional strength. The stills from practice are a testament to his work, changed body types, ripped arms, visibly increased definition and power.

Particularly on the defensive line, he's transformed Oregon's trench monsters. This is a Big Ten defensive line room, a dramatic change from the Ducks of the past. The old myths about being undersized or lacking strength in the defensive front just don't apply anymore.

It isn't always about gaining weight. Bear Alexander has trimmed down from 6-3, 315 to 6-3, 302. He still has the mass to do battle at the line of scrimmage, but he's quicker and strikes harder. A'Mauri Washington, Jericho Johnson and Terrance Green have the bend to go low and deliver contact, but the strength to hunker down and be tough to move.

Players like JaJuan Dickey and Xadavien Sims have refined their bodies, exchanging bad weight for good.

The Ducks have the bulk to be deep in the trenches. It's imperative that they take care of business over the season's first four games, Montana State, Oklahoma State, at Northwestern and Oregon State, so they have the opportunity to develop this rotation and get experience and teach tape for the twos, threes, and fours.

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