The first thing Teitum Tuioti pointed to when asked about the hardest quarterback he’s ever had to bring down at Oregon wasn’t a future NFL name from this season. It was Caleb Williams.
That answer came during a CBS Sports conversation with fellow senior edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and senior defensive lineman Bear Alexander, and Tuioti didn’t need long to explain why the former USC star stuck with him.
“I would say though, for a scrambling quarterback, and I remember, it was Caleb Williams,” Tuioti said during a CBS Sports conversation between him, fellow senior edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, and senior defensive lineman Bear Alexander.
“That game, bro. Okay, I got him one time.
But I’m saying overall, the whole game bro - he was like - it was weird because we would rush, and then he would step up in the pocket. We'd spin back and the next thing you know he's back out.
I spin back, I'm like, bro, I'm just spinning in cirlces trying to chase this man down for 10 seconds,” Tuioti added.
Tuioti was talking about Oregon’s 2023 meeting with Williams and USC, a game the Ducks won 36-27 at Autzen Stadium. Williams finished that night with 291 passing yards and one touchdown, while Tuioti, then a true freshman, recorded one total tackle and one solo tackle.
The memory still mattered because that season marked the start of Tuioti carving out a real role for himself. He finished with 30 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup, establishing himself on a defense that already had veteran pieces around him.
Since then, the Laie, Hawaii, native has grown into one of Oregon’s defensive anchors. He has started a combined 29 games over his next two seasons, and now enters 2026 as a Walter Camp Preseason All-America first team selection.
That status puts a spotlight on what Oregon needs most from him: pressure. The Ducks came up short in their upset loss to Oklahoma State, and the pass rush didn’t register a sack. But there were better signs in Oregon’s 34-27 near-win over Boise State to open the regular season.
Against the Broncos, Tuioti delivered six total tackles, including three solo tackles, along with one sack, two tackles, and four quarterback hurries. The game also carried a small family wrinkle, with linebacker Mana Tuioti on the Boise State side.
Afterward, Dan Lanning pointed to the defensive front’s effort as one of the positives from the night.
"I thought we rushed with power, but also some awareness there in the second half," Lanning said about the defense against the Broncos. "I thought Coach Hampton did a good job of dialing up some pressures, too, to give those guys some opportunities. They, in some ways, refused to participate in the pass-rush game by having chippers and some guys that were really aware of it."
Now Tuioti’s challenge is about to get even more demanding. Oregon’s schedule puts him in position to chase quarterbacks like Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, Illinois’ Katin Houser, and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. If Caleb Williams still sits at the top of Tuioti’s list, one of those names could force a new answer by the end of the year.
In Other News...
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Leutele stands out not just because of where he plays, but because of how early he has risen at one of the regions most demanding programs. He is a rare freshman starter at Mater Dei and is regarded as a versatile defensive piece, the kind of player USC wants to keep stacking into its next recruiting cycle. The Trojans are also pursuing other safety targets as they look to build a stronger 2028 group after a smaller 2027 class, so this is only part of a broader push on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
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The concern does not stop there, either. Several other players, including Jahkeem Stewart, Nela Tupou, Dee Reddick, Madden Riordan and Jadyn Walker, are dealing with injuries or are in question for the opener, leaving the Trojans to manage depth issues as the level of competition ramps up. For a team about to find out what life looks like in a new conference, availability may be the first major test. [Read more 🡒]