Oregon Ducks' Teitum Tuioti Reveals Inspiring Relationship with Father, Tony Tuioti

The 2025 Oregon Ducks are loaded with heartwarming stories up and down their roster. The No. 3 team in the nation is led by both freshmen thriving in their first seasons, as well as players who have been patient in waiting for their opportunity to star.

One of the key storylines this season is the father-son duo of linebacker Teitum Tuioti and defensive line coach Tony Tuioti. The Big Ten Network highlighted Teitum’s path with the Ducks ahead of Oregon's top-10 matchup with the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers.

“I’m playing for my family,” Teitum said. “I look up to my dad so much. So just seeing him grind and do what he does definitely had a big impact in everything that I do.”

Playing With Purpose

oregon ducks teitum tony tuioti linebacker dan lanning big ten college football recruiting nil transfer portal defensive line — Teitum Tuioti, Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten

Since taking the head coaching position at Oregon, Dan Lanning has been clear about the type of mentality he wants to see from his players when it comes to the game of football.

“Your purpose has to be bigger than your talent,” Lanning said. “(Teitum) is always recognizing the blessings that we get to play here at Oregon and how he doesn’t want to take that for granted.”

In addition to Teitum playing linebacker at Oregon, Tony has several sons playing football at a high level. Teivis Tuioti plays defensive line at San Diego State, Teilor Tuioti is a linebacker at Idaho State and Mana Tuioti is a linebacker at Boise State.

Tony’s coaching journey has taken him and his family to a variety of destinations across the football landscape including, Hawaii, Michigan and Nebraska. Teitum put his purpose into perspective when discussing how the Ducks have brought him and his father together.

“I never spent a lot of time with my dad early on,” Teitum said. “Now, I get to see him every day.”

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Teitum Tuioti: A Hidden Gem

While Teitum is having another standout season as a junior for a top-ranked program in the country, he didn’t always have the biggest spotlight on him. The Big Ten Network feature detailed Teitum’s recruitment to Oregon.

Tony joined the Ducks back in 2021 as part of coach Lanning’s inaugural staff. With the Tuioti family heading to Oregon, Teitum finished his high school football career with the local Sheldon High School. Tony said in the feature that he asked Lanning not to recruit Teitum simply because he’s his son.

“Teitum should have been on everybody’s radar,” Lanning said. “You knew the first time you saw him that this guy’s a playmaker. I remember telling him whenever we were recruiting Teitum, Teitum’s going to be an all-conference player and it’s because of what he’s learned from his dad.”

Teitum committed to Oregon and quickly carved out a role in the rotation as a true freshman. Lanning recalled some of his biggest plays for the Ducks so far, including a sack for a 15-yard loss against the Colorado Buffaloes as a freshman in 2023.

The linebacker’s role in the program’s success is more important than ever heading into a top-10 showdown against the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers. He leads the team this season with 11 solo tackles. Teitum is also first in tackles for a loss (5.5 for 16 yards), second in total tackles (23), second in sacks (2.5 for 12 yards) and first in quarterback hurries (two).