Oregon’s defensive line is already loaded for 2026, but Anthony “Tank” Jones Jr. is the name drawing fresh attention inside the program.
That’s partly because Jones has changed his body in a big way. Defensive line coach Tony Tuioti said Jones is now “up to 300 pounds now” and described him as “very athletic.” The Ducks have been watching that growth closely as they get ready for their season opener against Boise State.
Tuioti also pointed to Jones as part of a young group that could push Oregon’s front even deeper. He said Jones has “position flex where he can play outside, inside,” a trait he also highlighted with Aydin Breland, who is up to 315 and can work at either spot. Breland, Tuioti said, is “a big-time pass rusher for us.”
The next wave doesn’t stop there. Tuioti praised Matt Johnson as a “true technician” and called him “really, really smart,” especially for the way he handles pre-nap procedure, gets the call, understands the situation and mode, and “surfacing backs like he’s super super smart.” He also pointed to D’Antre Robinson as “another big body that’s twitchy, that’s fast, that’s athletic.”
For Oregon, the headline names are still the veterans. Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti, Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington all passed on the 2026 NFL Draft and returned to Eugene.
Tony Tuioti said the Ducks are “very blessed and lucky to have those guys come back,” adding that “everybody in the country wishes they can have four guys with that amount of experience be on their team.” He said they “do everything the right way” and help the younger players by coaching them up in the building, in the weight room and during drills.
He specifically mentioned Bear Alexander helping Tank Jones, while Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei have been coaching up Dutch. That kind of connection, he said, matters if Oregon wants to reach its ceiling.
“If we have a team that’s like that, that’s connected, that cares about each other, we can do some really, really special things.”
Tuioti also said the atmosphere around the group has been strong, even with the usual preseason noise outside the building.
“I don’t even listen to the hype. Here we just talk about each and every day.
How can we keep getting better? It’s out there, okay?
But we can’t have that be a distraction. The most important thing for us is to focus on what we can do to get better.
And today, we got better. This is like the first time in my career since I’ve been here at Oregon where we had a scrimmage on Saturday and we had an elite practice on Monday.”
He said the returning veterans have set the tone for everyone else.
“We’re very blessed and lucky to have those guys come back. I think everybody in the country wishes they can have four guys with that amount of experience be on their team, and we’re blessed to have them here at Oregon.
They do everything the right way. They care.
They’re bought into everything we asked them to do from whether it's in the training room, in the weight room with Coach Wilson Love, in meetings, and then even in drills, pushing guys to keep getting better. I see these older guys; they do a great job in helping the younger guys get better.
I see them on the side coaching up young guys. I see Bear coaching up Tank; I see Teitum and Matayo coaching up Dutch.”
Tuioti added that the leadership from those players can keep the whole roster moving in the right direction.
“We talk about levels of competitors, and one of those is a commander. Can our leaders bring people along with them?
If we can bring everybody else that are, whether they’re younger, their first year guys, second year guys, to play better than what they’ve done the day before, we’re better as a team. And I thought we took that step today.”
He also shared a personal note about Teitum Tuioti, saying, “It’s always special, having Teitum here for three years now, going on our fourth year. I can already feel that the time is coming where it’s coming to an end.
So just enjoying every moment with him. Having my son Tavis here coaching too as well and seeing both of them in the building is a blessing, and I really appreciate Coach Lanning for allowing that opportunity to happen.
So, just enjoying every moment with them and just glad that they’re able to help the program in any way.”
As for Jones, the biggest shift has been on the run game. Tuioti said the Ducks know he can rush the passer, but the focus has been on making him dependable on early downs.
He said Jones “has done a really good job of getting bigger, stronger, so he can take on these combination blocks” and has been “holding the point against the run and been showing up against the run for us.” Because of that, Tuioti said Jones is “definitely a guy that we’re going to depend on” and “definitely a guy that’s going to get a lot of reps for us this season.”
For Tuioti, the message is simple: the talent is there, the size is coming, and the Ducks’ next step depends on how quickly that group keeps stacking good days.
“I think it all starts with a mindset. Showing up in meetings, attacking the day, waking up in the morning to make a choice.
Coach Lanning challenges each and every one of us to choose hard. On the other side of hard is our greatness.
None of us came here to Oregon because we were looking for easy. We know that it's definitely hard here.
The competition is really, really high. Expectations are really, really high.
It’s a privilege for us. Pressure is a privilege, and we enjoy that.”
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