Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Drops Unfortunate Teitum Tuioti Injury News

The No. 23 Oregon Ducks seized an emotional 41-28 victory on the road against No. 12 Ohio State on Saturday, but a late injury added reason for concern.

Coach Dan Lanning confirmed on Monday that outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti is out for the season after sustaining an injury early in the fourth quarter in Columbus.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during a press conference on Aug. 15, 2026, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Unfortunately, Teitum is done for the year. He had a knee injury. He'll end up having surgery," Lanning said. "He's going to have to wait for a little bit to let things settle down."

“So, we'll see him walking around on crutches, and he left it on the line there on the field, man.” He added. “I don't know if he'll get another chance to play as an Oregon football player, but whoever gets to have that guy on their team in the future is going to be really, really lucky”

For the Ducks, losing Tuioti is a devastating loss on the defense, not just because on what he brings on the field, but his leadership off of it. Tuioti totaled 44 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2025. He also was the one of players who spoke to the media after all three of Oregon's losses.

Lanning went on to address the upcoming matchup against the Michigan Wolverines, his thoughts on the College Football Playoff and spoke about Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham.

What Dan Lanning Said

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Opening Statement:

“Fun game there in Columbus. Obviously had some ebbs and flows, but really got on a heater with our players and, I think, saw some of the things we're capable of doing as a team. Just challenged our team that I want to see that team continue to grow, but there were some versions of us that were the best versions of us on Saturday.”

“Fun thing to be a part of. Our guys came back and attacked at work today. (We are) about to play a Michigan team that's had some struggles, but you also see some unbelievable personnel. We've had the opportunity to go against coach Whittingham before and see where they really show up. They've always been tough-nosed.”

“You see physicality. Obviously, their defense is probably as good as any defense that we played this season. They're playing really, really well. They've done some good things on special teams, and yes, they've had some struggles on offense, obviously, and recently had the coordinator change, but you do see a lot of talent over there.”

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola throws out a pass as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“You see some talent on the offensive line. You see skill positions that can do things, and you see some quarterbacks that present different challenges. So, this will be a fun prep week for us, a great opportunity to get our fans back in Autzen Stadium and get to experience that atmosphere and let them know what playing at Autzen is all about.”

“We haven't had Michigan here at Autzen since we joined the Big Ten, so this will be a fun experience for us, especially with the rivalries and the opportunities that get created by being in this conference. So excited for it, and our guys are prepping hard to go to work.”

Balance in Acknowledging the Growth With the Room for Improvement:

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the sideline as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I think it's just that you're really open and honest and point out exactly the reality of, 'OK, this went really well. Why did it go really well? This didn't go well.' There were plays that were called multiple times in the game; one time it's a touchdown, one time it's a tackle for loss on offense.”

“Same thing with defenses that are called in the game, but I really do feel like a lot of our mindset going into that game was just do your job. When our guys went out there and did their job, they did it at a really high level and looked as good as any team in the country.”

Third-and-Long Success and First-Down Struggles:

“Yeah, I think that's something for us to certainly look at and attack. Again, some of those moments were the same play call, and it worked on one down and didn't work on the other. That usually goes back to some execution or a little bit different looks here and there.”

“We've got to be better in some of those moments, and some of the play style and what we were trying to do. Ohio State has a really good defense as well. So, I think our answers on third down — we spent a lot of time on third-and-long this past week with our offense, and we were able to take advantage of it because of that time that we put in.”

Tight End Jamari Johnson as a Ball Carrier and the Touchdown Before Halftime:

“Yeah, obviously we've done some of the gate stuff in the past. And that's a play that we've worked with our field goal unit also since fall camp, and we knew we weren't going to utilize it as a gate play. So, we put that in with our offense several weeks ago, and felt like that was a play that was going to be successful.”

“It had a couple different options. You also have the ability to burn the timeout if you don't like the look, right there, and you can take points. But we like the look that we saw. He had taken snaps and done that QB sneak 50 times at least since August.”

Oct 31, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson (9) walks off the field after a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Not necessarily with that exact same formation, the exact same personnel on the field, but several times the last few weeks. And our history also against Ohio State. We've run gate against them multiple times, so we anticipated them trying to defend some of those different looks that we give them.”

“We'd ran outside runs. We'd done some different looks, but we hadn't done that. So we felt like there was a great chance it was going to be there and be available. And when we saw the look, we knew it was going to be positive.”

“And that's kind of our game on the line, play from the two- yard line and the one-yard line, and it fit. It felt like that was a great time to take that chance and that opportunity.”

What He Attributes the Parity in College Football To:

“10 years ago, some of the best teams in college football had great players stacked, and there wasn't the opportunity for those players necessarily to go somewhere else. Now I think with NIL and some of the things that happen with the portal, there are a lot of transactions that happen each season, and guys that are good players aren't necessarily stacked in depth behind other good players on rosters.

“That's hard. We're fortunate to have a really good roster here, but there's transition every year, and I think what you see is more guys that would have been a really good two here. Now they go somewhere else, and they become a one, and then they develop and grow as a player, and they become really good players. I think that part of it is the distribution of talent is higher now than it's ever been.”

“I think that's definitely one piece of the parity. The reality of playing in the conference that we're in is it looks a lot different than it did five years ago, 10 years ago. This is a really challenging conference. There are other challenging conferences in college football; they're big, and every week it's a talented team that you're playing against that has good coaches, and they have good players, and that makes it a real challenge.”

Michigan’s Two Quarterbacks:

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) hugs quarterback Tommy Carr (14) after a play against Indiana during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, there are some things that are similar, and then some things that are different. Obviously, more recently, I think if you look at it, it's about who's protecting the ball better. Bryce (Underwood), the strength of his arm and as a running threat is unique, but they both operate similarly. The offense doesn’t completely change based on which guy's in the game.”

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“There's still some similarities in what they do now. Will it change now moving forward? That's where we have to go back and evaluate some of our Utah games. Coach Harding's been with coach Whittingham for a long, long time, so I think there's going to be some high-identity plays that probably show up based on what he's done in his history.”

“You've got to evaluate our games. They also have a coach on staff there that's going to have some involvement, that's been at Syracuse, so you go back and look at that. But when you look at the quarterbacks, there's some similar pieces to what they both do. Just some small variances and differences.”

Receiver Jeremiah McClellan’s Performance Back From Injury:

Oregon wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan warms up as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I mean, just unbelievable resilience to return as fast as he could. It's always hard to level expectations because he wanted more than anything to be in as much as he could.”

“He worked really, really hard to put himself in a position to get back, but I knew early in the week, like, 'Hey man, we need you not just for one, we need you for several.' So, this is a build-up process, and you don't go from not playing any football at all to going to play at a really high level for a lot of snaps.”

“When he was in there, he did a really good job. Sometimes he's open. I wish we could have been able to find him, but I think his leadership continues to show up. His work ethic continues to show up, and obviously he's a big piece of our offense and a dynamic piece. So, excited to have him back out there.”

Replacing Teitum Tuioti:

“I wouldn't necessarily share everybody that's going to be involved in that, but obviously (Nasir Wyatt) will step up. He's a guy that's been out there for us already, but there will be some moving parts. It'll look a little bit different.”

“There's already been a rotation along our defensive line, so I think you'll see a lot of the familiar faces. But you don't just replace a guy like Teitum Tuioti and his experience and what he's been able to do.”

24-Team College Football Playoff:

“Yeah, not a lot of new thoughts. I mean, I think this is something the coaches have known is coming down the wire here for a little bit, so no new thoughts really on it. I do think that it's getting closer and closer to a normal playoff model in other sports, where the challenge is — we're certainly not the same team we were when we started the season, right?”

“We've experienced some adversity, we've seen some different players on the field, we've gone through some coaching transition, but if the goal is to be able to get teams that are capable of winning at the end, I think that it allows a team like ourselves, where you can say, 'OK, the best team could be in there potentially and have a chance to go compete.'”

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“So, I think you'll see some more of that. We saw it last year with Miami; they experienced a couple of losses, and they started playing their best football toward the end of the season and got all the way to the national championship.”

“So, it's gonna provide some unique opportunities. The questions about who's in, who's not in, that's just gonna exist now at a higher level of who's 20, who's 25, who's 26, who's 27. Every time the mark moves, that's always the conversation, and that'll happen again.”

“But certainly there'll be some really quality teams playing, and obviously the loss of the conference championship games is going to be unique and sad in some respects because that's always a really awesome game to be a part of.”

“But in reality, it's almost a punishment for those teams that are playing in it because they're playing football when nobody else is. So it certainly makes sense with the landscape of college football and what it's like right now.”

Michigan Coach Kyle Whittingham Handling Adversity:

Oct 31, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham reacts during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“You know, I haven't really been able to pay much attention to him until this week, so I don't know. I know he's a Hall of Fame coach for a reason, and he's won a lot of football games. So, I've been worried about my own problems, not really paying attention to his, and I know he does a great job. I'm sure they'll be prepared to play us.”

Removal of the Conference Championships:

“I think it's a necessary evil. Like I said, I like I like that game. I would love for it to be a part, but I don't think it's fair necessarily to the teams. Again, we experienced it a couple years ago. We're playing a conference championship, and everybody else is able to relax on their couch, and then and then we go almost a month without.”

“And I think the thing that I've always said is the game should be played in sequence, very similar to the NFL playoffs or any other playoff model, so there's still a lot to college football. I think has to get better, but I do think if you're going to expand the games to 24 teams, then that's going to be part of what is missing.”

How Michigan’s Offensive Coordinator Change Shifts Game Plan:

Michigan offensive coordinator Jason Beck calls in a play to quarterback Tommy Carr during second half action at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. Michigan State beat Michigan 15-6. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“It just makes you do a little bit of a deeper dive, like I said, when you're trying to look to say, okay, what else could they pull out. And I think one thing you recognize about changes in college football is teams that have done that, experienced that recently.”

“They've kind of had a resurgence on offense. I mean, whether it's a coaching change, there's several programs that I showed that to our players today. Here's programs that made changes at head coach or coordinator this season, and here's what the next week looked like, or the next two weeks looked like.”

“And we've seen a lot of those teams have a lot of success. And sometimes that's not just because of a change. But there's a spark that's sometimes lit when those things happen. So, we anticipate to see their absolute best, and then we're going to have to chase ghosts a little bit and look for every answer that we might be able to find based on what might be different.”

Offensive Line Breakthrough:

“Yeah, it's as it's as good as of a front as we've seen. Right, there's a lot of NFL players on that defense in general, but this this group, you know, they do an unbelievable job, and it's a pressure-oriented group from a standpoint of they're going to give you a lot.”

“They pitch a lot of different looks. Coach Hill's done an unbelievable job there of creating some real disruption and havoc with what they do up front, and then they play tight coverage in the back end. So, there's a reason that they've had so much success defensively, it'll be a real challenge for our offensive line.”

Going Against the Michigan Defensive Line:

Sep 12, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver JJ Buchanan (6), safety Mason Curtis (25) and defensive line Deyvid Palepale (54) celebrate after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, it's as good up front as we've seen. There's a lot of NFL players on that defense in general, but this group, they do an unbelievable job, and it's a pressure-oriented group, from a standpoint of they're going to give you a lot.”

“They pitch a lot of different looks. (Michigan defensive coordinator Jay Hill) has done an unbelievable job there of creating some real disruption and havoc with what they do up front, and then they play tight coverage in the back end. So, there's a reason that they've had so much success defensively. It'll be a real challenge for our offensive line.”

Oregon Defense’s Lowest Rate of Missed Tackles in the Country:

“Get better. Growth, right? Just a lot of work, a lot of practice. Guys taking it seriously on how they have to attack and improve. And look, that's just a sample of the previous games. This next game's a separate indicator, so we have to tackle well again. I know all that said, I saw some missed tackles this last game for us, so we can continue to get better there”

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