Oregon’s offensive line is getting one more season of Iapani Laloulu, and that decision is starting to look like a major one for both the Ducks and his NFL stock.
At Big Ten Media Days, Dan Lanning pointed to the difference between last year’s roster and the one coming back for 2026. The Ducks coach said experience is the big separator now.
"One thing I recognize is last year I felt like we had a team that had a ton of talent," Lanning said. "This year we have a team that has a lot of experience returning.
A lot of those young guys that played are guys that have great experience. I am excited to see what that looks like."
Laloulu fits that description perfectly. The senior center, known as “Poncho,” is drawing real attention in draft circles, with The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranking him No. 6 among senior interior offensive linemen for the 2027 NFL Draft.
That’s notable company, and it reflects how far Laloulu has come since he was first pushed into center duties. He wasn’t originally eager to make that move, but once Jackson Powers-Johnson left for the Las Vegas Raiders, Laloulu stepped in during Oregon’s 45-6 win over Liberty in the 2024 VRBO Fiesta Bowl. He later fought to keep his spot in 2024, opening two games at guard before shifting to center full time.
By the time Oregon got to its rivalry game against Oregon State, Laloulu had already shown enough in the trenches to establish himself as the guy handling the communication up front.
Brugler’s list had Laloulu at No. 6, behind Minnesota’s Greg Johnson, Indiana’s Carter Smith, Ohio State’s Luke Montgomery, USC’s Alani Noa and Missouri’s Cayden Green. Ohio State’s Carson Hinzman, LSU’s Braelin Moore, Indiana’s Drew Evans and Minnesota’s Ashton Beers rounded out the top 10.
Laloulu’s 2025 season backed up the buzz. He helped contribute to three Joe Moore Award finalist lines and added AP All-American third team, All-Big Ten second team and Rimmington Trophy finalist recognition. He also played through adversity, rolling his ankle against USC before coming back the next week and helping Oregon beat Washington on the road to close the regular season.
The appeal is easy to see. Laloulu brings strength in pass protection, balance, footwork and the kind of line communication NFL teams covet. His 2025 workload included 760 pass-blocking snaps, and he finished with a 79.9 PFF Pass Blocking Grade.
For Laloulu, though, the return to Eugene isn’t just about draft positioning. In a recent conversation with Yogi Roth and the Joe Moore Award, he made it clear he sees unfinished business with Oregon.
"Yeah, we talk about it every single day," Laloulu said. "We preach it every single day.
We got slides. We got like the Big Ten Championship, Joe Moore, and then the Natty is what we say in the o-line room.
So we, coach Terry, just go down the line and we say Natty at the end. So, I think that's our main focus as a unit."
In Other News...
Oregon May Have A Late Backcourt Decision To Make
A federal court ruling this week added an unexpected wrinkle to Oregons offseason roster planning, with a U.S. District Court judge granting a preliminary injunction that requires the NCAA to declare eligible all high school class of 2022 athletes who used up four seasons of eligibility this spring. For a Ducks program that has already largely assembled its roster but kept a few openings available, the decision arrives at a time when backcourt depth is still worth monitoring.
One name to keep in mind is Takai Simpkins, the former Oregon guard who was part of the case. Even with the portal already in motion and the roster picture mostly settled, the ruling creates a late-stage possibility the Ducks may have to weigh, especially if they want to preserve flexibility in the guard rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Is Suddenly In The Mix For A Proven Guard Again
A court ruling in Colorado has reopened the college basketball market in a way few programs could have predicted, giving players from the 2022 recruiting class another year of NCAA eligibility and prompting a fresh round of roster shuffling. For teams like Oregon, it has created an opportunity to revisit experienced backcourt options at a time when proven guards are always in demand.
Among the players drawing attention is Memphis guard Dug McDaniel, whose path has already included stops at Michigan and Kansas State before his time with the Tigers. Oregon is reportedly among the programs showing interest, and the broader appeal is obvious: a seasoned ballhandler suddenly available again, with multiple schools now trying to sort out where he might land next. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Tight End Battle Could Change The Ducks Offense Fast
The tight end room is shaping up as one of the more interesting parts of Oregons 2026 roster, with five-star newcomer Kendre Harrison already looking like a player who could push for immediate snaps. He brings the kind of blend the Ducks value there, with enough blocking ability to hold up in the run game and enough receiving skill to be more than just a line-of-scrimmage option. Add in his athletic profile, plus the expectation that he will also spend time around college basketball, and Oregon has a rare kind of mismatch piece entering the program.
Jamari Johnson gives the Ducks a proven returning option, which makes the battle feel less about finding one usable tight end and more about sorting out how quickly the offense can take advantage of two different skill sets. If Harrison adapts fast, Oregon could open the season with a much more dangerous group at the position than most teams in the country can match. The bigger question now is not whether the Ducks will have talent there, but how soon they can turn it into a real edge on offense. [Read more 🡒]