Oregon Loses Two More Players to Transfer Portal Amid College Football Playoff Run

The Oregon Ducks continue to get hit with transfer portal departures in the middle of their College Football Playoff run as defensive backs Kingston Lopa and Sione Laulea have are set to leave the program. Oregon beat the James Madison Dukes in the first round at Autzen Stadium.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the sideline as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the sideline as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks are coming off of a 51-34 win over the James Madison Duke at Autzen Stadium on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The Ducks now advance to face the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the CFP Quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. on Jan. 1, but two more members of the Oregon secondary won't be in attendance.

Oregon defensive back Sione Laulea
Oregon defensive back Sione Laulea runs during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Per reports from On3's Hayes Fawcett, Oregon cornerback Sione Laulea is entering the portal and won't be with the team for the rest of the CFP. Joining him in the portal will be Oregon safety Kingston Lopa, who will have three years of eligibility left. He also won't be with the Ducks during what hopes to be a run to the National Championship.

Laulea, who arrived to Eugene before the 2024 season, was the top JUCO cornerback prospect out of San Mateo College headed into his first year at Oregon.

Sione Laulea Chose Oregon for Development

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field after a timeout as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He told the media before this season that he chose the Ducks because he thought it was the best fit for him from a developmental standpoint.

"I transferred from junior college, and the biggest fit for me was just development, because I feel like I used two years, so with two years left in eligibility, I feel like I had to make the most out of my two years," he said. "So the place that was going to develop me the most and where I fit most in the scheme, and I felt like this was a place, especially with the coaching staff, with Tosh (Lupoi) being such an aggressive caller, and (Chris Hampton) as a secondary coach."

"I feel like it's been great," he continued. "As you guys know, there's not a lot of experience in our back end, specifically the corner room, but there's some dogs either way, whether we touch the field or not. You can see it clearly in practice that everyone's making plays on the ball, and it's pretty much neck and neck."

MORE: Three Biggest Takeaways From Oregon's Playoff Win Over James Madison

MORE: Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Is Turning Heads For Ducks' Playoff Entrance

MORE: National Championship Betting Odds After Oregon's Win Over James Madison

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However, things never quite worked out for Laulea. He appeared in 10 games with Oregon while posting just 10 total tackles (five solo), three pass breakups and one pick. His only interception as a Duck came in the 38-9 win over No. 20 Illinois last season.

As for Lopa, he arrived to Oregon as a four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class out of Grant Union in Sacramento, CA.

Oregon ducks transfer portal kingstopa lopa sione laulea dan lanning james madison dukes college football playoff
Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; James Madison Dukes head coach Bob Chesney and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greet one another after the game at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

He received some notable praise from Oregon head coach Dan Lanning during the spring.

"It's just what he does every day in practice. You know, the part that we get to see, and Kingston to be an unbelievable player for us. You know, he's had a really good spring so far. But you know, he earned those moments by what he did in practice," Lanning said.

Lopa appeared in 13 games this season while posting 12 total tackles and one pass breakup.


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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is a beat reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. He also is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for NFL on SI sites like the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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