2006 Oregon Ducks Football Preview: Offensive Line Ready For Battle

Photo: goducks.com

EUGENE - All five of last year’s starters in the offensive line return from a unit that cut the number of quarterbacks sacks allowed in half (20) from 2004 (41), as well as six of its top nine receivers and a pair of battle tested quarterbacks.

The quintet of returning linemen is led by senior center Enoka Lucas (6-4, 299). The two-year starter earned second-team all-conference accolades a year ago and has been mentioned among the Outland Trophy hopefuls prior to the season, which is awarded to the nation’s top interior lineman.

Senior guard Palauni Ma Sun (6-6, 335), juniors Josh Tschirgi (6-4, 311) and Geoff Schwartz (6-7, 340), and sophomore tackle Max Unger (6-5, 296) also return.

Returning sophomores Jacob Hucko (6-7, 307) and Mark Lewis (6-4, 292) are among those who add depth, as well as JC transfers Pat So'oalo (6-5, 355) and Fenuki Tupou (6-6, 322), if not challenge for starting nods.

Aloha

It’s conceivable that four-fifths of the Ducks’ offensive line could be manned by natives of Hawai’i, with a trio from the Islands combining to open 35 of 36 opportunies a year ago.

Senior Enoka Lucas (Honolulu), senior guard Palauni Ma Sun and sophomore Max Unger (Honaunau) were a fixture in the lineup after the season opener,

with only Ma Sun not opening every game among the threesome.

Add to that mix junior college transfer Pat So'oalo (Kaneohe), who will compete for playing time at guard, and there could be a quartet of offensive linemen originating outside of the lower 48 states.

A fifth component, junior transfer Fenuki Tupou, is of Tongan descendant but has never lived outside of California himself after being born in Sacramento.

Returning Honorees on the Offensive Line

Enoka Lucas

Pac-10 Conference second team Max Unger

Freshman All-America first team (College Football News.com, Rivals.com)

Freshman All-Conference first team (The Sporting News).

Thank you for noting the spelling error!

you spelled aloha wrong

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports