After a day full of fireworks for the Oregon Ducks to kick off the early signing window, the Ducks did receive a piece of bad news on Wednesday afternoon. Jac’Qawn McRoy, a freshman offensive tackle at Oregon, plans to enter the transfer portal, according to On3Sports.
McRoy was a 4-star recruit for Oregon in the class of 2024. He was ranked as a 247Sports Top 100 player and Top 10 offensive tackle in his class, and among Oregon’s four O-line commits last year, McRoy was rated the highest.
This season, McRoy didn’t see the field on any gamedays, but considering who Oregon has on their O-line, the freshman’s lack of playing time is understandable. The Ducks O-line is a finalist for the Joe Moore Award (given to the best O-line in college football), and Josh Conerly and Ajani Cornelius — the Ducks’ starting tackles — were both named to All-Big Ten teams this season.
BREAKING: Oregon True Freshman OT Jac’Qawn McRoy plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
The 6’8 365 OL will have 4 years of eligibility remaining
Four-Star Recruit in the ‘24 Classhttps://t.co/dVNHJWVdwl pic.twitter.com/I0clDLOMnT
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 4, 2024
With exceptional size at the tackle position, standing at 6 feet 8 inches and weighing in at 375 pounds, McRoy will be an in-demand player this portal cycle — especially with his four years of remaining eligibility. And with quick feet on the edge of the O-line, size isn’t McRoy’s only asset.
During his initial recruitment, McRoy took official visits at Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Colorado. He also took an unofficial visit at Auburn, two hours south of his hometown of Pinson, Alabama. A year later, McRoy could end up anywhere, but look out for those schools as potential landing spots.
McRoy didn’t play this season, but it’s rare for freshmen tackles to see the field anywhere in college football. After this season, Cornelius will be out of eligibility and Conerly — a junior — will be faced with the decision of whether to go to the NFL or return for another year at Oregon. If Conerly declares for the draft, the Ducks will be faced with replacing both of their tackles, and with McRoy leaving the program, Oregon doesn’t have many homegrown options.
