Oregon Ducks Battling Washington Huskies for Four-Star Defensive Line Recruit

The Oregon Ducks are set to lose four starters from the defensive line after the 2026 season, so Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff have been proactive on the recruiting trail when it comes to finding replacements in the defensive line room.

Most recently, four-star defensive lineman Tevita Nonu from Seattle, Washington, included the Ducks among the final five programs that he is considering in his recruitment. Oregon is competing against the Washington Huskies, Arizona Wildcats, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the Michigan Wolverines for Nonu's commitment.

oregon ducks recruiting washington huskies tevita nonu four-star defensive line arizona wildcats notre dame michigan — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field as the Oregon Ducks practice on Jan. 5, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon, ahead of the Peach Bowl. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks already have a few defensive line recruits committed like four-star Zane Rowe and four-star edges Rashad Streets and Cameron Pritchett, but Lanning and company have made it clear that they are stockpiling defensive linemen in the class of 2027. Will Nonu be next?

Nonu revealed to On3's Brandon Huffman that a decision could be coming sooner than later, before the month of May ends. He visited Washington's campus in April, and a decision to stay closer to home may be imminent.

However, Nonu has also been recruited by his other finalists, namely Arizona, for quite some time.

Tevita Nonu's Recruiting Profile

Standing at 6-4, 270 pounds, Nonu is a consensus four-star recruit in the class of 2027. According to rankings from Rivals, Nonu is the No. 232 overall prospect and the No. 24 defensive lineman recruit in his class.

Oregon does has a distance advantage (although less of one than Washington) when it comes to recruiting Nonu over Arizona, Notre Dame, and Michigan. However, the Huskies are likely prioritizing Nonu's recruitment as the talented defensive lineman is ranked as the No. 2 recruit from the state of Washington in the class of 2027, per Rivals' rankings.

Lanning and company have had success in landing recruits from around the country, but the Ducks do not yet have any prospects from Washington currently committed.

Highlights from Nonu's junior season show a defensive lineman that can win with speed and power at the high school level. Often taking on double team blocks, Nonu still wreaks havoc in the backfield scrimmage whether it be chasing down opposing quarterbacks or blowing up run plays.

He seems to rely on his strength and athleticism to win battles, but Nonu also has active hands while taking on and shedding blocks.

Oregon Ducks' Recruiting Pitch

Nonu revealed to On3 what stood out about all of his finalists, and he highlighted part of the message he's been hearing from the Ducks' coaching staff.

"Oregon has been sharing their need for a new defensive line room, with all their defensive linemen being seniors and I want to put myself with the best," Nonu told Huffman.

The Ducks will have to replace Bear Alexander, A'Mauri Washington, Teitum Tuioti, and Matayo Uiagalelei along the defensive line after the 2026 season, so recruiting potential replacements like Nonu has been key for Oregon.

In addition to Nonu, Lanning and his staff are targeting several other defensive line recruits like four-stars Kasi Currie and Marcus Fakatou out of California.

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