Ducks defensive star Tuioti out for season with knee injury, Lanning says

EUGENE Ore. (KPTV) - Oregon Ducks linebacker Teitum Tuioti will miss the remainder of the 2026 season due to a knee injury, coach Dan Lanning announced Monday night.

Tuioti, a senior, suffered the injury during the team’s 41-28 win over Ohio State on Saturday, and will soon be undergoing surgery.

A three-year starter, the native Hawaiian registered 5.5 sacks this season, second most on the team through nine games, and was Oregon’s third-leading tackler overall.

Tuioti led the Ducks in sacks last season with 9.5, and has amassed 22.5 total sacks during his tenure with the program, dating back to 2023.

“Teitum has been unbelievable for us this year, and every year he’s been here,” said Lanning at a press conference Monday, where he made the announcement. “Watching him grow as a player and a person has been a lot of fun for us.”

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Tuioti played his senior season of high school football at Eugene’s Sheldon High School after his father, Tony, accepted a job on Lanning’s coaching staff in December 2021.

Tony joined the Ducks’ staff as a defensive line coach after spending three seasons at Nebraska.

The younger Tuioti will have one season of collegiate eligibility remaining under the new NCAA rules granting all student athletes five seasons of eligibility. He will also be an intriguing prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.

“He left it on the line there on the field, man, and I don’t know if he’ll get another chance to play as an Oregon football player, but whoever gets to have that guy on their team in the future is gonna be really, really lucky,” Lanning said.

No. 23 Oregon (6-3) awaits Tuesday’s latest College Football Playoff rankings to see where they land after the comeback victory over No. 12 Ohio State - their second straight win over a ranked team.

The Ducks host Michigan (5-4) on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.