A’Mauri Washington is arriving at exactly the right time for Oregon.
The No. 13 Ducks went into 2026 with plenty of preseason noise around the return of their starting defensive line, and Washington was right in the middle of it.
He even drew some 2027 Day 1 NFL Draft projections before the season. But his first few weeks were quiet, and not always in a good way.
Through three games, he had only six tackles and picked up costly offsides penalties on fourth down in consecutive weeks.
That started to shift in Oregon’s win over ranked USC before the bye. Washington posted a season-high five tackles in Week 4, and the Ducks will need that version of him again when they face No. 21 UCLA.
Coach Dan Lanning said after the USC game that Washington was “limited a bit in fall camp,” though Washington dismissed that as a factor.
His value to Oregon was clear last season, when he put together a career year across the board. Washington finished the 2025 season with 33 tackles, seven pass deflections and 1.5 sacks.
His teammates know what kind of problem he can be when he’s rolling. Linebacker Jerry Mixon summed it up simply.
“A’Mauri’s a dog, so whenever he's out there, it look a lot different,” Mixon said. “So just keeping him healthy out there, so we all can attack our 1/11 on the field.”
Washington has also been a live rep machine for Oregon’s offensive line in practice, especially for a young and rotating group that’s been getting work against him and Bear Alexander. Senior offensive lineman Dave Iuli said Washington has been sharpening that unit for years.
“For the past four years me and A’Mauri have been going at it,” Iuli said. “And I’ll say one biggest thing A’Mauri has in his bag is his agility.
It’s just being flexible. He’s super flexible.
Just a guy that’s super unexpected to move for how big he is. When you go against a player like that, you have to think before the snap that anything is possible that could happen.”
Iuli also said the daily pressure Washington brings makes Saturdays feel easier.
“During the game, everything is just even much calmer because I go against a guy who really comes and attacks every day with violence, and not only that and he does his job really good,” Iuli added. “Does his assignment really well.”
Now Oregon needs that edge against a UCLA ground game that has plenty of speed and production. The Bruins have three running backs averaging more than five yards per carry, with each topping three touchdowns and 150 rushing yards.
Wayne Knight is the headliner. Oregon saw him last year when he was at James Madison, and he’s already found the end zone nine times in 2026. Washington didn’t mince words about what makes Knight difficult to bring down.
“We seen them last year. No.
3?” Washington said of Knight.
“I ain’t gonna lie, this dude’s got some juice, though, man. It makes it a little bit difficult with how low they be to the ground.
You gotta really get low on these dudes. If you go high and arm tackle, it’s not going to work, especially versus a guy like that.
I think he’s an NFL running back, in my opinion.”
For Washington, the answer is discipline. For Oregon, the need is bigger than one matchup.
The Ducks have Nebraska, Northwestern and No. 5 Ohio State coming up, which makes this first game after the bye a prime chance for the defensive front to show it’s ready to take off.
UCLA coach Bob Chesney already noticed what Oregon brings up front.
“Well, the defensive line stands out. When you look across the board and you put 44 and 10 out there with 1 and 52, and then the next four guys that come in next, they are disruptive and they are physical,” Chesney said. “What stands out in their play is that they have a plan.”
“They have a plan on double teams. They have a plan in the run game, single blocks.
They have a plan in the pass game,” he continued. “They have counter moves to their plan.
There’s nothing in here that’s not well thought out and executed in a disciplined and violent manner.”
All of it puts Washington in the spotlight. Oregon’s defense needs a breakout, and after the USC win, this looks like one of the best chances it will get.
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Indianas Unbeaten Start Faces Its First Real Test Saturday
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The matchup also has a personnel wrinkle that adds another layer of uncertainty, with Oregon turning to Dylan Raiola for his first start in place of the injured Dante Moore. That alone would be worth watching, but the bigger issue for UCLA is how well it can handle Oregons front seven and keep its own ground game from getting swallowed up. If the Bruins can run the ball with some consistency, theyll have a chance to make this look like a true top-25 battle rather than a proving-ground road test. [Read more 🡒]