Oregon’s defense has spent the 2026 season looking like a group with real teeth, and A’Mauri Washington is a big reason why that front is starting to feel dangerous again.
The No. 15 Ducks rolled into the year with an experienced defensive line, but the full four-man mix of edge rushers Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei, along with tackles Bear Alexander and Washington, didn’t always get to operate as a complete unit.
There were uneven stretches, too. Oregon’s front looked far from its best in the Week 2 upset loss to Oklahoma State, and USC found some room to move the ball briefly on Sept. 26 before Washington and company settled things down.
In Oregon’s 41-27 road win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Washington stood out as the one interior force USC could not handle with any consistency. After the game, Dan Lanning didn’t hide how much faith he has in the veteran tackle.
"He was a limited a little bit in fall camp, so probably gets an unfair. . . and you guys don't know that because we don't let you come to practice, but he's growing into what player we think he can be," Lanning bluntly said to reporters postgame.
"There's no question in my mind that A'Mauri can be an absolute dominant force out there on the field for us and a weapon for us as he continues to grow and get better."
The production backed up the praise. USC finished with 120 rushing yards against Oregon’s front, but the Trojans were held to just 3.6 yards per carry. Washington’s ability to shoot gaps, stack blockers, and erase lanes was central to that effort.
The 6-3, 320-pound defender didn’t just occupy space. He controlled it.
Washington repeatedly won with active hands at the snap, using strength and leverage to reset blocks before they could develop. On more than one rep, he split double teams and blew up the run fit before it had a chance to breathe.
He also showed a more violent edge as a pass rusher and block shedder, working a grab-and-rip move to break free and get back to the ball. At times, he was delivering stops with two offensive linemen attached to him. Washington also generated pressure on Jayden Maiava and knocked down one of his passes for a breakup.
It added up to his first game of the 2026 season with two solo tackles, and he did it against a ranked opponent in Big Ten play.
If he keeps stacking performances like that, the All-Big Ten conversation is going to follow. Oregon’s schedule only gets more demanding from here, starting with a revamped UCLA team and an explosive ground game on Oct.
- The Ducks then close October against Northwestern, where ex-Oregon coach Chip Kelly is the offensive coordinator, in a matchup that suddenly carries more intrigue after Northwestern nearly upset Indiana.
Then comes the one that will really test how far Washington has come: Nov. 7 against Ohio State. That game will bring 1,000-yard running back Bo Jackson and quarterback Julian Sayin, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, into the picture.
For now, though, Lanning’s message was clear. Washington is trending the right way, and that’s a problem for everyone else.
In Other News...
Bear Alexander Twisted The Knife After Oregon Beat USC
Bear Alexander had a little extra spotlight waiting for him at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and he seemed to lean into it. The Oregon defensive tackle, facing his former team in the Ducks 41-27 win over No. 18 USC on September 26, played a key role in a result that carried plenty of edge even before kickoff. With NFL scouts scattered through the building to watch the matchup, Alexander gave them something to note on the field and the Trojans crowd plenty to react to off it.
The boos from USC fans did not end when the game was over. Alexander took to social media after the victory to mock the Trojans and celebrate Oregons win, turning a tense reunion into a full-on postgame swipe. For Oregon, it was another signature road result in a season already built around high-stakes moments, and for Alexander it added an unmistakably personal layer to a night his old school probably would rather forget. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons USC Win Put One Transfer Story Front And Center
Week 4 offered a reminder that Oregons roster churn has reached far beyond Eugene, with several former Ducks making their presence felt for new teams. The most visible example came in the win over USC, where backup quarterback Dylan Raiola helped lead the way with 289 passing yards and two touchdowns, a performance that put his transfer path back into the spotlight.
Raiola was hardly alone in turning heads. Kingston Lopa, Kamar Mothudi, Sione Laulea, Makhi Hughes, Keith Brown, Jericho Johnson and Blake Purchase all turned in meaningful work for their new programs, adding another layer to Oregons transfer-era story. For the Ducks, the week was a useful snapshot of just how many familiar names are still shaping games elsewhere, even as one of the biggest results of the weekend came against USC. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Teased A New Look Bruins Fans Need To See
During the bye week, Oregon used a little downtime to stir up plenty of offseason-style intrigue, teasing a new alternate look that fits right into the programs long-running habit of making uniforms part of the brand. The matte black jersey features green and yellow paint streaks, along with a nod to the origin of speed inside the collar, a clear callback to the Chip Kelly era that helped define a lot of what the Ducks became.
The timing makes the tease even more interesting, with the full reveal expected on September 29 and a possible debut lined up for the October 10 matchup with UCLA. A version of the jersey had already surfaced through Dicks Sporting Goods, both online and in some stores, so the only real mystery now is how Oregon plans to package the finished product when it officially goes public. [Read more 🡒]