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Oregon football: Ducks OL Ajani Cornelius named to 2024 Outland Trophy watch list

Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius has found his name on the 2024 Outland Trophy preseason watch list. Given how he helped elevate Oregon's offense last year, that's fitting.

By Ethan Lee

Sep 30, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (center right) celebrates with offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius (center left) after scoring a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (center right) celebrates with offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius (center left) after scoring a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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The Oregon Ducks football team continues to place talented players onto 2024 college football preseason award watch lists. That isn’t really all that shocking given how talented the Oregon football team is rolling into this season. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius made his way onto the 2024 preseason Outland Trophy watch list.

Cornelius, who is heading into his second season with Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks, was a key member of the Oregon football team in 2023 as he helped establish himself as an anchor on the Ducks’ offensive line. He managed to start all 14 games for Oregon last year and was a huge presence up front for the Ducks.

Cornelius played a crucial role in Oregon’s offensive success and was a big reason why the Ducks allowed just five total sacks throughout the entirety of the 2023 Oregon football season.

This sort of national recognition is certainly warranted going into 2024.

Oregon football: Ducks offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius finds himself on 2024 preseason Outland Trophy watch list

With Cornelius serving as a cornerstone for the Oregon Ducks’ o-line, Bo Nix and the rest of the Oregon offense were able to thrive. 

The Ducks were consistently among the best offenses in the country in numerous ratings and they managed to lead in the country in passing offense with an average of a rather impressive 346.9 passing yards per game.

Beyond that, Oregon also averaged 44.2 points per game (good for second best in the country) and racked up 531.4 total yards of offense per game (also good for second best in the country last year). The stars at the skill positions are going to get a lot of recognition for that (as they should), but without guys like Cornelius paving a way, none of that offensive success is possible for the Ducks.

So, as the Oregon football team gears up for its move into the Big Ten, getting someone like Cornelius up front to help hold the offensive line together is going to be important. Especially with the likes of the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes being on the 2024 Oregon football schedule.

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