Oregon Ducks Build Momentum With Defensive Line Recruit

The Oregon Ducks’ recruiting machine appears to be picking up momentum at the right time.

Coach Dan Lanning’s staff is making the rounds with recruits across the country and preparing for upcoming summer visits. Defensive line coach Tony Tuioti recently stopped in Utah to visit with three-star defensive lineman Aniti Paiva.

Oregon Defensive Line Coach Tony Tuioti Visits With Three-Star Recruit

oregon ducks recruiting tony tuioti aniti paiva defensive line dan lanning zane rowe rashad streets cameron pritchett — Oregon defensive line coach Tony Tuioti walks into the hotel as the Oregon Ducks arrive in Los Angeles ahead of the Rose Bowl Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ducks coaches have been seen meeting up with recruits in California and various places around the country. Paiva posted a picture alongside Tuioti on social media on Thursday after Tuioti stopped by to visit him.

The three-star defensive lineman is from Draper, Utah, where he competes for Skyline. Paiva originally grew up in Oregon but moved to Utah to play high school football.

Great talk Coach Tuioti. Appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by and visit with me at Skyline High. Excited to be up on campus in June. @CoachTuioti92 @Recruits2Eugene @oregonfootball @CoachDanLanning @Coach_CHampton @givemesomoe @SkylineEaglesFB pic.twitter.com/rAcglp9iLq
— 3⭐️Aniti “Andy” Paiva (@PaivaAniti) May 1, 2026

Defensive Lineman Aniti Paiva’s Recruitment

The 6-3, 300-pound defensive lineman is listed as the No. 9 player in Utah and the No. 118 defensive lineman in 2027, per 247Sports.

The Penn State Nittany Lions are considered to be the frontrunners in Paiva’s recruitment at the moment. He’s set to take an official visit there in June, and also has an official visit set up with the Arizona Wildcats. The Boise State Broncos, BYU Cougars and Utah State Aggies are other teams involved in his recruitment.

According to 247Sports, the Ducks haven’t yet extended an offer to Paiva. That could potentially mean Oregon is a program that enters the battle for his commitment late in the cycle.

Paiva did post on Apr. 7 that the Oregon director of college scouting, Kyle Young, invited him to the Oregon Elite Camp on June 3 at Autzen Stadium. He mentioned in his post alongside Tuioti that he’s “excited to be up on campus in June.”

Oregon Ducks’ Defensive Line Future

Lanning and Tuioti are set to return their starting defensive line in 2026, which many fans have predicted to rank among the top units in the country.

Edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti return, along with defensive lineman Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington. The team displayed that they also have plenty of depth at the position during their 2026 Spring Game.

New players are expected to step into starting roles in 2027, with the starting unit set to head to the next level after the upcoming season. That also provides more opportunities for recruits like Paiva to earn rotational roles if they commit.

Oregon Ducks Recruiting Class

The current 2027 recruiting class includes 11 commitments. The Ducks are listed as the No. 7 class in the nation by Rivals, but there are still a lot of opportunities for that to change.

Zane Rowe, Rashad Streets and Cameron Pritchett are the only defensive line commitments at the moment, but they’re all listed as defensive ends. Paiva is a recruit that the program is targeting who has lined up at nose guard at the high school level.

Lanning and his staff made major recruiting moves in the month of April. They secured commitments from players, such as five-star quarterback Will Mencl and four-star cornerback Ai’King Hall.

The months of June and July 2025 highlighted Oregon’s 2026 recruiting cycle, with official visits impressing recruits enough to land commitments. If the 2027 recruiting cycle is anything like that, the Ducks should be in a good position to raise their recruiting class standing.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google