The pieces are aligning for Dan Lanning and the Ducks as they head to the Big Ten next season.
On Saturday, veteran defensive end Jordan Burch announced that he will return to Eugene in 2024 to play his senior season at Oregon.
"#1more," he wrote in a social media post.
Burch had a strong season at Oregon and led the Ducks in tackles for loss (7.5) and finished third in sacks (3).
The former South Carolina transfer quickly felt at home in Eugene, as Dan Lanning, Tosh Lupoi and Tony Tuioti made him a feature player in one of the best defenses in the country.
His 6-foot-6, 290-pound frame was handful for opposing offenses and pairing him with Brandon Dorlus, Casey Rogers and Matayo Uiagalelei helped him showcase his abilities as both a pass rusher and a run stopper and what made him a five-star recruit coming out of high school.
Burch's return announcement is the third major return this offseason as All-Pac-12 linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and safety Tysheem Johnson, an All-Pac-12 honorable mention, are also returning to play for Oregon in 2024. The veteran defender will be the face of Oregon's defensive line under Tony Tuioti in a group that projects to feature many new faces.
The Ducks will lose Dorlus, Rogers, Aumavae and Mase Funa either to the NFL Draft or exhausting eligibility, which makes Burch's return that much more important as they face offenses like Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten.
Fortunately for Oregon, the Ducks signed arguably the best defensive line haul in the country for the 2024 recruiting cycle, headlined by All-Americans Aydin Breland, Elijah Rushing, Jericho Johnson and Xadavien Sims among others.
Winning in the trenches is a major key to success and Dan Lanning should have the Ducks ready to go once again next season.
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