I have never met Jake Fisher and I do not believe I’ll get the chance to.
That said, one thing is readily apparent, and I say it with the utmost respect: Fisher is a big guy.
A high school senior and offensive tackle prospect from Traverse City, Mich., Fisher was on an official visit to Oregon this weekend. He was accompanied to Saturday’s women’s basketball game by head coach Chip Kelly and wide receivers coach Scott Frost.
Rated a three-star prospect on Rivals.com, Fisher’s measurements are impressive: 6-foot-7, 270 pounds, 5.17-second 40-yard dash (certainly respectable for someone his size). He will supposedly make a choice between Michigan, Michigan State, Florida and Oregon in continuing his football career.
Currently, the Ducks are reported to have accepted verbal commitments from four offensive linemen, all of whom are 6-foot-4 or taller. None of them weighs more than 300 pounds, the new standard on the line in college football. Presumably, they will get there through weight training and hard work.
Oregon loses significant beef on the offensive line to graduation as center Jordan Holmes (6-foot-5, 300 pounds), tackle Bo Thran (6-foot-5, 281) and guard C.E. Kaiser (6-foot-4, 290) move on to bigger and better things. Replacing their experience and leadership is hard enough to do without fans itching for a reprisal of an explosive offense in 2011.
Preferably, without any disruptions. The memories of Nick Fairley weigh heavily on those who watched the BCS National Championship Game, and they figure Kelly, offensive line coach Steve Greatwood and the rest of the Oregon staff are in position to do something about it.
Namely, getting bigger guys on the line.
First things first: The Ducks have employed, and will continue to employ, a zone-blocking scheme with the offensive line. The scheme requires mobile offensive linemen to move laterally and pull around to opposite sides.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to find the 350-pound man capable of doing that and trying to maintain Oregon’s preferred pace of 11 seconds between plays. Of course, 322 pounds might do — that’s Duck lineman Mark Asper’s listed weight.
Greatwood and the Oregon coaching staff have done a phenomenal job coaching up anyone willing to play for them. Holmes and Asper were both two-star recruits, according to Rivals. Kaiser’s only BCS-conference scholarship offer came from the Ducks. Thran — considered the best lineman on the team this season — and current Seattle Seahawk Max Unger were three-star recruits who weren’t highly regarded.
Oregon has continued to build up a football brand predicated on speed, but it still holds the work of the offensive line in high esteem. Obviously, this has been communicated to prospective Duck linemen, four of whom have publicly announced their intentions to play in Eugene.
It would be nice to have the fleetest line in college football, but it would be even better if all could play above 300 pounds. At issue is the ability and availability of this type of athlete; highly regarded offensive line prospects are in demand from every school in the nation. What is Oregon to them, really?
Of course, to keep up the recent string of BCS bowl game appearances, the offensive line must play at high levels every year. Oregon fans would be proud to say, if at all possible, that the Ducks’ offensive line is the best in the nation.
To which I say: Coach Greatwood, Coach Kelly, keep finding the best athletes you possibly can for this program. Strength and conditioning coach Jim Radcliffe will increase their mobility and muscle, and the offensive line will go from locally treasured to nationally respected.
That’s something everyone can be proud of.
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