What does addition of Matthew Bedford mean for Oregon’s offensive line?

In the span of eight hours on Monday, Oregon made three transfer portal additions that figure to bolster the program’s long-term outlook.

The Ducks landed commitments from running back Jay Harris, offensive lineman Matthew Bedford, and quarterback Dante Moore. On paper, Bedford is arguably the least flashy of the bunch. In terms of Oregon’s 2024 outlook, though, he might be the most impactful of the bunch.

A 6-foot-6, 305-pound senior, Bedford spent five seasons at Indiana and originally committed to Colorado earlier this winter. But he flipped his commitment to Oregon this week and now could be poised to play a significant role for the Ducks next season.

What does Bedford bring to the table?

Bedford was one of the more sought-after O-linemen on the market this year for good reason: He’s a proven contributor at the Big Ten level and is incredibly versatile. He has started 28 games in his career and made multiple starts at four different positions.

Right tackle (9)Left tackle (8)Right guard (8)Left guard (3)

As a junior in 2021, Bedford earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors while splitting time at right guard, left guard, and right tackle.

During the 2023 campaign, he played exclusively at right guard and logged 754 snaps there, according to Pro Football Focus.

In 12 games, he garnered a 69.2 PFF overall grade, including a 70.7 run-blocking grade. He was less effective in pass-blocking scenarios and allowed two sacks and 15 pressures on the season.

What Bedford’s addition means for Oregon in 2024

It’s no secret that Oregon needed to add another proven veteran along the offensive front this offseason.

The Ducks are losing All-American center Jackson Powers-Johnson to the NFL Draft. Starting right guard Steven Jones has exhausted his eligibility after producing the best season of his career in 2023.

Starting left tackle Josh Conerly Jr., left guard Marcus Harper II, and right tackle Ajani Cornelius are all expected to return next season — although it’s possible that Cornelius could opt to test the NFL Draft waters. He has yet to publicly announce his plans for 2024.

If we’re assuming all three of Oregon’s eligible starters return, though, the Ducks will need to fill two spots along the O-line. Conerly Jr. and Cornelius are entrenched at the tackle spots. While Harper II is versatile enough to excel at any of the three interior spots, he has started at left guard each of the past two seasons and is expected to do so again in 2024.

Standout true freshman Iapani Laloulu is going to start at center for Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl and would appear to be the favorite to lock down the starting job there next season.

But it’s also possible that the Ducks opt to shift Harper II to center — he repped there during spring ball and fall camp. If that proves to be the case, Laloulu could slot in at left or right guard. He saw plenty of playing time at both spots this season while serving as a super sub of sorts.

In either case, Bedford is going to be in contention to start at one of the guard spots. He also might be the closest thing Oregon has to a starting-caliber No. 3 option at tackle. Kawika Rogers and Faaope Laloulu both saw playing time in blowout scenarios this season. But Conerly Jr. and Cornelius played every meaningful snap at left and right tackle, respectively.

Bedford will likely be competing with Nishad Strother and Dave Iuli for a starting job at guard. Strother was in the mix to start along the interior during fall camp before suffering an injury that kept him sidelined until Week 5.

Iuli played 119 snaps in 10 games in 2023 and has produced some bright cameo appearances during his first two seasons with the Ducks.

It’s probably too early at this point to speculate what Oregon’s two-deep might look like by the time fall camp rolls around next August.

But it’s clear that with Bedford’s commitment, the Ducks have added a starting-caliber veteran who is capable of providing quality depth at four different positions.

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