Teitum, Tony Tuioti's Family Rivalry Ignited by Oregon vs. Boise State

Coach Dan Lanning has seemed intentional about curating a family-friendly atmosphere since taking the reins with the No. 2 Oregon Ducks in 2022. At the center of that is defensive line coach Tony Tuioti and his son, senior edge rusher Teitum Tuioti.

Now, the Ducks’ Week 1 matchup against the Boise State Broncos provides the father-son duo to match up against another member of the family to open the season.

Tuioti Family Faces Off in Oregon vs. Boise State

oregon ducks dan lanning tony tuioti teitum mana defensive line linebacker autzen stadium boise state broncos big ten — Oregon defensive line coach Tony Tuioti, left, and his son outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti during the Oregon Ducks media day ahead of Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Linebacker Mana Tuioti will be lining up on the Broncos side of the field in Week 1. Mana is the fifth of seven Tuioti children.

“I’ve been playing with my brother pretty much all my life,” Teitum said in a video posted by CBS Sports College Football. “He’d come work out with me all the time. But, you know, I gotta do what big brother does, you know? I gotta make sure I win.”

Like his brother Teitum, Mana also played locally at Sheldon High School in Eugene before beginning his collegiate career. Both of the Tuioti brothers were three-star recruits coming out of the Oregon high school football scene.

Tony’s coaching journey has taken the family across the United States, with stops at Hawaii, Michigan and Nebraska, before the family ended up in Eugene in 2022. The 2025 college football season featured four of Tony and his wife Keala’s sons representing different football programs: Teitum (Oregon), Mana (Boise State), Teivis Tuioti (San Diego State) and Teilor Tuioti (Idaho State).

Ahead of the season-opening matchup, Lanning spoke about the family’s big game.

“Yeah, I'm excited for (Tony). I'm sure there's an unbelievable sense of pride and getting to see those guys be on the same field,” Lanning said. “I asked Teitum if that's happened before. They got a big family, right? And Teivis got to play Teimana last year, right? But this will be the first time the whole family gets to be there and see it. So, I think it'll be really exciting for them.”

Oregon EDGE Teitum Tuioti’s Breakout Ducks Career

Teitum enters his senior season at Oregon and is already one of the biggest success stories in terms of development in the Lanning era. Despite being rated as a three-star recruit, he quickly made his way up the Ducks’ depth chart.

The Oregon edge rusher broke out for a career season in 2025, posting 68 tackles, five pass deflections, a forced fumble, and leading the team in sacks with 9.5. He joins Matayo Uiagalelei, Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington as returning defensive linemen who all elected to come back for their final seasons and pass up the 2026 NFL Draft.

Tony’s starting defensive line unit is a key part of why the Ducks begin the season with a No. 2 AP Poll ranking and earning predictions to win the program’s first National Championship. If Teitum can post similar numbers to 2025 or improve upon them, not only could he make himself a Day 1 or Day 2 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, but he could elevate the Ducks to title contention.

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