Oregon offensive linemen go through drills during last year's spring practice.

The first portion of spring practice is nearly complete. The Ducks will wrap up practice No. 5 on Wednesday before taking nearly three weeks off. They'll then complete nine more practices Starting on April 3 prior to the April 21 spring game.

With that in mind, we'll continue our position breakdowns today with the offensive line. We'll look back at the 2017 season, look ahead to the new additions and then forecast what we anticipate for the group this fall.

2017 in Review: The 2017 season saw high expectations for a group that returned five players with starting experience led by one of the nation's most preeminent position coaches in Mario Cristobal. The group largely lived up to expectations. As the team finished second in the Pac-12 in rushing yardage (251.0 yards per game) and 12th nationally. There were ups and downs to be sure. Oregon surpassed the 300-yard rushing mark six times (against Southern Utah, Wyoming California, Utah, Arizona and Oregon State). They were also held below the 200 yard mark three times in three defeats to Arizona State, Washington State and in the bowl game to Boise State. The Boise State game should leave an especially bad taste, as they gained just 47 yards on the ground on 28 carries. Senior Tyrell Crosby was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference first-team, while sophomores Jake Hanson and Calvin Thorckmorton were each honorable mentions.

Players Lost: Tyrell Crosby (graduation), Doug Brenner (graduation), Jake Pisarcik (graduation) and Evan Voeller (graduation).

Players Returning: Jake Hanson (rJR.), Calvin Throckmorton (rJR.), Shane Lemieux (rJR.), Brady Aiello (rJR.), George Moore (JR.), Jacob Capra (rSOPH.), Sam Poutasi (rSOPH.), Logan Bathke (rSOPH.), Alex Forsyth (rFR.), Cody Shear (rFR.).

Players Added: None this spring. Oregon signed 4-star OL Penei Sewell, Dawson Jaramillo and Steven Jones along with 3-star prospects Christopher Randazzo and Justin Johnson. All five will enroll in June in preparation for fall camp.

George Moore is a strong candidate to replace Tyrell Crosby at tackle.

Projected Fall Starters: LT — Brady Aiello, LG — Shane Lemieux, C — Jake Hanson, RG —Jacob Capra, RT — Calvin Throckmorton

Spring Outlook: Assessing the offensive line hierarchy will have to be postponed a bit as we wait for Hanson to return to practice and for five incoming freshman to arrive this summer. Because of Hanson's injury, Throckmorton has been the team's top center, allowing both Aiello and Moore to run with the first team at the tackle spots. At some point, one of those two — or possibly a newcomer — will win the spot at left tackle, but spring feels a bit premature given the circumstances. Still, this should provide a great opportunity for development as Hanson's absence has created more reps for both tackles and for Throckmorton to work at a third spot on the line (he's already started games at tackle and guard). This is the team's most experienced group, as five players have started at least once at Oregon, and four have started 13 or more.

Biggest Concern: Neither Aiello or Moore are ready to replace Crosby. Frankly, I'm not all that worried about this unit. I thought for the most part, the unit played really well in 2017, and I expect them to be even better in 2018. Replacing Crosby is the only major worry, and given the value of protecting Justin Herbert's blindside, the failure to find a suitable replacement would be a disaster.

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