Seaton visit set as Oregon seeks vital piece for title run

While Oregon's frontline returnees make them an immediate title contender, a few missing pieces stand in their way.

Dan Lanning and his staff have to secure depth in the secondary and on the defensive line. They need a green dot linebacker to replace Bryce Boettcher and his team-leading 136 tackles, the Winter Soldier who plugs the A-gap and blows up opponents with the blitz.

The latter is rare and hard to find, but a clone of Indiana's Aiden Fisher or Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez would be perfect. Though a secret Nike lab is working on that, progress is uncertain before September.

The last and even rarer component of championship football is a wide-body, long-armed, nimble, tenacious left tackle, a pile driver who puts defenders on their butts and keeps Dante Moore secure in the pocket.

Few quarterbacks in college football enjoy the deep threats Moore commands, but that array of speedsters and jitterbugs will be wasted if A'lique Terry and his group can't protect him. Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart, Jeremiah McClellan, Iverson Hooks, Jalen Lott, Gatlin Bair, Dierre Hill, Gatlin Bair and tight end Jamari Johnson can wreck every defense in college football if Moore has time to throw.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reports that Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the Transfer Portal, plans to visit Oregon on Monday. He's already tripped to Texas, LSU, Miami and Mississippi State (Mississippi State!) and the bidding has reached $3 million.

The bidding war is a frenzy, but what's the priority?

Lamborghinis, South Beach salsa dancers and unlimited fried catfish have already been offered in pursuit of the top left tackle prospect in the portal, 6-5, 330, who recorded a PFF pass-blocking grade of 91.4. Oddly, his run-blocking technique topped out at a meager 52, which is remedial.

Seaton has the physical tools to get better in that area, and Terry is a meticulous teacher. That could be a selling point for the IMG Academy grad, originally from the Washington D.C. area where he played at St. John's Academy, starting on varsity as a true freshman, a five-star recruit and Top 20 prospect in the class of 2024.

Over the last several seasons Oregon has sent left tackles Josh Conerly and Penei Sewell to the first round, and guard Emmanuel Pregnon is likely to join them this year. If development for the NFL of prime importance to the Seaton camp, Dan Lanning can make a compelling case. He'd look great on film, putting defenders on the ground for Dante Moore's 45 touchdowns. Every recruiter has to have a vision to sell. Oregon's starts on the field.