Ben Roberts Adds Blend of Size and Speed to Oregon's 2022 Recruiting Class

Mario Cristobal continues to prioritize winning the battle in the trenches and just added another valuable defensive lineman to his 2022 haul.

The Ducks picked up a big commitment over the weekend when they landed Utah defensive lineman Ben Roberts, a former Washington pledge that reopened his recruitment following a visit to Eugene for Saturday Night Live. 

What does he bring to the table?

Analysis from SI All-American's Matt Solorio

Athleticism

Big and limber out on the edge. Plays long and bendy, like a true defensive end, even when he’s bumped into the interior - which is where he should be spending the majority of his remaining football career. Robert appears to play like a solid athlete-- he just simply outgrew the other positions in football. With natural girth and quickness, he’s well suited for life in the trenches.

Instincts

Great awareness a with a disciplined style of play. He does his 1/11th and then tracks down the ball carrier. He is never the nail, always the hammer. Even when he’s blindsided by trapping guards, he can play himself back into position.

Polish

He’s shown that he can hold down the edge against some of the toughest Utah offensive tackles at the prep level, However, at a listed weight of 290, we don’t expect him to stay out on the edge at the next level. We have seen him take on double teams with good technique, which is not as common as one might guess for a recruit as highly sought after as Roberts. Whereas many elite prospects would out-athlete a double team, Roberts hunkered down by driving one blocker back, and throwing his hips into the second blocker.

Bottom line

Roberts is undoubtedly a size and speed guy, but he has also shown sound technique out on the edge. When size and speed guys take coaching as well as Roberts does, the sky is the limit. 

*WATCH BEN ROBERTS HIGHLIGHTS HERE*

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