Dan Lanning has made a point of building a family-first culture at Oregon, and Week 1 gives that idea a very real test. When the No. 2 Ducks open against Boise State, defensive line coach Tony Tuioti and his son, senior edge rusher Teitum Tuioti, will be on one sideline while another family member is lined up across from them.
That’s because Boise State linebacker Mana Tuioti is set to play in the opener. Mana is the fifth of seven Tuioti children, and the matchup turns the season’s first game into a family meeting with plenty on the line.
“I’ve been playing with my brother pretty much all my life,” Teitum said in a video posted by CBS Sports College Football. “He’d come work out with me all the time.
But, you know, I gotta do what big brother does, you know? I gotta make sure I win.”
The brothers’ paths have mirrored each other in a lot of ways. Both played at Sheldon High School in Eugene before moving on to college football.
Both were three-star recruits coming out of the Oregon high school scene. And both have stayed tied to the same place even as Tony’s coaching career carried the family from Hawaii to Michigan to Nebraska before landing in Eugene in 2022.
This season, the Tuioti family footprint stretches even wider. Four of Tony and Keala Tuioti’s sons are playing for different programs in 2025: Teitum at Oregon, Mana at Boise State, Teivis Tuioti at San Diego State and Teilor Tuioti at Idaho State.
Lanning said he’s looking forward to seeing it all play out.
“Yeah, I'm excited for (Tony). I'm sure there's an unbelievable sense of pride and getting to see those guys be on the same field,” Lanning said.
“I asked Teitum if that's happened before. They got a big family, right?
And Teivis got to play Teimana last year, right? But this will be the first time the whole family gets to be there and see it.
So, I think it'll be really exciting for them.”
For Teitum, the matchup comes as he heads into his senior season after emerging as one of Oregon’s best development stories under Lanning. Once a three-star recruit, he climbed quickly through the depth chart and turned in a breakout 2025 campaign with 68 tackles, five pass deflections, a forced fumble and a team-high 9.5 sacks.
He returns as part of a veteran defensive front that also includes Matayo Uiagalelei, Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington, all of whom passed on the 2026 NFL Draft to come back for one more season.
That experience is a big reason Oregon opens at No. 2 in the AP Poll and with national championship expectations already attached. If Teitum can match or top his 2025 production, he could put himself in position as a Day 1 or Day 2 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft while helping keep the Ducks in the title mix.
In Other News...
Braxton Felys Next Move Just Got A Lot More Real
A late legal ruling has pushed Braxton Felys next chapter back into play. The former Boise State defensive tackle was granted a temporary restraining order by an Oklahoma state court, clearing the way for him to compete in college football this season as a fifth-year senior after his time with the Broncos.
Fely, a four-year starter in Boise who earned second-team all-Mountain West honors in both his junior and senior seasons, plans to enter the transfer portal and play for Oklahoma. For Boise State, it is another reminder of how quickly the modern roster landscape can shift, especially for a proven veteran lineman with that kind of resume and eligibility still at stake. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Oregon Test Could Turn On These Newcomers Fast
Boise State heads into its Week 1 showdown with Oregon with a roster that looks noticeably different in some key spots, thanks to a wave of transfer additions expected to matter right away. The Broncos brought in 10 newcomers who are in line to play starter-level snaps or serve as important backups, giving the staff a lot of new faces to lean on in one of the biggest games on the early schedule.
For a team trying to measure itself against a high-end opponent, that kind of turnover can be both an opportunity and a stress test. Names like Brantley, Edward, Esty, Ethridge, Goff, Hall, Morris, Tillmon, Washington Jr. and Wright all come with different backgrounds and positions, and the challenge now is getting that talent to mesh quickly enough when the Ducks come to town. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Faces An Early Test That Will Say A Lot
Boise States season opener is about as stiff a road assignment as it gets, with the Broncos heading to Autzen Stadium to face No. 2 Oregon in a midday showcase that will air live on CBS2. For a team still trying to establish its identity, the matchup offers an immediate measuring stick, and it comes with the kind of spotlight that can make early September feel a lot bigger than one game.
Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander has already pointed to the challenge of slowing down Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, while offensive coordinator Nate Potter has talked about giving Maddux Madsen more freedom to work outside the pocket and use his mobility. CBS analyst Charles Davis framed it as a game that will test both sides in different ways, but also one where Boise State believes it belongs on the field rather than just surviving it. [Read more 🡒]