The foundation for the post-Throckmorton/Lemieux/Hanson/Warmack/Aiello era at Oregon has now been laid, as a summer filled with beefy additions to Oregon’s 2020 recruiting class may have come to an unofficial end on the first day of fall camp for the Ducks.

On Tuesday, the Ducks received a verbal commitment from Oroville (Calif.) Butte College offensive lineman T.J. Bass, who now serves as the fifth offensive lineman to commit to Oregon during the 2020 cycle, following the pledges of Faaope Laloulu, Marcus Harper, Jonathan Denis, and Jaylan Jeffers.

COMMITTED✔️ pic.twitter.com/pKewxymPmB

— TJ Bass (@bass7_tj) August 2, 2019

In fact, Bass is the third offensive line commitment the Ducks have picked up in the last week, solidifying Oregon’s 12th-ranked recruiting class per 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings.

Ranked as a three-star prospect and the no. 2-ranked offensive guard at the junior college level according to 247Sports’ own rankings, Bass – a Deming, Wash. native – chose the Ducks over strong overtures from Auburn and Arizona State.

Below we take a closer look at Bass’ game, examining his weaknesses and strengths, as well as projecting how he may make an impact for the Ducks when he ultimately arrives on campus.

Notable weaknesses:

• Lack of proven experience playing center: With Jake Hanson set to graduate at the end of the 2019 season, the door is open for Bass to come in and earn the starting job in 2020 as the Ducks’ center. However, despite Bass’ versatility, there isn’t much film that demonstrates his proficiency at the position. He’s talented enough to make the adjustment, but how quickly?
• Limited lateral quickness, athleticism: At the JUCO level, Bass played his fair share of left tackle, which shows you he isn’t a total liability on the edge, but it’s not his ideal position. His lack of lateral quickness and agility stands out some, but it should play much less of a factor if he’s able to lock down a spot at center or guard.

Notable strengths:

• Versatility: One of the big things that stands out about Bass is his tremendous utility. On film, he can be seen more than holding his own at tackle and guard, though center – his expected position in college – may be where he’s most effective. At any rate, Bass offers head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal the ability to fill in anywhere along the offensive line in a pinch.
• Quality finisher: Bass is a mauling offensive lineman who plays with a mean streak. He brings a tangible toughness and finisher’s mentality every time he steps on the field, which is reflected on film.
• Plays downhill: Once Bass gets up a head of steam, he’s a human wrecking ball who is tough to slow down. He has an impressive understanding of leverage and should be an effective blocker in situations where he’s forced to pull.

Overall outlook:

Bass is an important addition to Oregon’s recruiting class, as he’s the fifth offensive lineman to pledge a verbal commitment to the Ducks in 2020. With the Ducks set to lose six scholarship seniors along the offensive line at the end of the 2019 season, there is opportunity across the board for each of these prospects to make a name for themselves early. Bass, however, may be the best bet of bunch to do just that, as he’ll likely be an immediate contender for playing time at center next season following the graduation of Jake Hanson. His primary competition, walk-on Ryan Walk and Dawson Jaramillo, will be a redshirt junior and redshirt sophomore, respectively, with limited playing experience under their belts at that time, paving a relatively clear path to starting reps for Bass.