The reshuffling up front has been one of the defining themes around No. 13 Oregon, and Dave Iuli is stepping into the middle of it as more than just a veteran body. With freshmen and sophomores cycling through the offensive line rotation, the Ducks are leaning on Iuli’s experience, his voice and his ability to steady a unit that has been anything but settled.
That matters even more with center Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu serving as one of the few constants. Trent Ferguson’s season-ending injury at left guard only added to the movement, and the rise of true freshmen Immanuel Iheanacho, Tommy Tofi and Koloi Keli has opened the door for more youth. Sophomores Ziyare Addison and Douglas Utu have also earned bigger roles, making the line a group in transition.
Iuli said Tuesday that his mentorship role has become a real part of the job.
“I’ll say my factor as a mentor has been huge just being an older guy around these young guys because it takes stress off the coaches, too,” Iuli said on Tuesday. “I feel like when every day you got youngins coming in it almost gets repetitive of the same questions they’re asking.”
“So, it’s so important for guys like me, Poncho, Kawika (Rogers), all the older guys, to be in there and be in the young guys ear of, letting them know, ‘Hey, this is what we do here. This is how it goes.
This is the play. This is what we’re doing,’” he continued.
For Oregon, that kind of presence has value well beyond the huddle. Iuli is a fifth-year player who came off the 2025 season with a torn tricep, and he wasn’t featured as heavily in the opener against Boise State. Still, he told the media Tuesday that he’s “fully back at 100 percent.”
He also sees the bigger picture. In his view, helping the younger linemen now is part of preserving what the Ducks call “The Law Firm” later on, while also giving him experience that could matter if coaching is in his future.
“So being a mentor has not only helped the youngins, but it’s helped me as well for if I ever want to be a future coach or just coaching somebody else up,” Iuli said. “I feel like it helps them as well because they know when we get out of here, now we need them to be mentors, and it carries on the legacy here."
One of the players Iuli has connected with most is Keli, the true freshman interior lineman from Honolulu, Hawaii. Keli was a three-star recruit and could eventually be in the mix for a starting center role.
“I can say a lot of things about Koloi, especially me being Polynesian and me and him relating together,” Iuli said. “I can say Koloi has came in.
He’s did everything the right way. And not only that, he works his butt off.
And not only that, he does his job too.”
“So, I think having him out there and being a guy that can lead block for us and being a young guy that we could just be reliable on has been really good so far for Koloi,” he added. “He keeps that up, he’s gonna do great in the future.”
Dan Lanning also highlighted Keli on Monday, calling attention to his unusual usage as a “pseudo fullback.”
“Yeah, physicality, right? Koloi’s shown it again and again in practice, and we want guys to be able to play in that position with physicality.
Right? He's pretty fast too.
Who knows? Maybe we'll throw him a goal ball," Lanning joked.
Now the Ducks are headed into a tougher stretch in Big Ten play, beginning with a ranked matchup against No. 21 UCLA in Week 6.
Nebraska, Northwestern and No. 5 Ohio State are also on the schedule in what looks like a demanding run.
With Oregon chasing a third straight College Football Playoff appearance, Iuli’s role as a stabilizer on the line only gets bigger from here.
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