True Freshmen Edge Rushers Shine in Oregon's Win Over Washington State
Oregon's defense had a lot of question marks heading into the season.
Perhaps the biggest was the pass rush, which struggled to get after quarterbacks in 2022. But now the Ducks have made a leap, eclipsing their sack total from a year ago (18) with 25 in seven games.
Many figured South Carolina transfer Jordan Burch and veteran Brandon Dorlus would be a key factor, and they have been. But some much younger players are staking their claim in that conversation.
The Ducks signed four edge rushers in the 2023 recruiting class, and three of them are already making a significant impact.
On Saturday, true freshmen Matayo Uiagalelei and Blake Purchase recorded their first college sacks, contributing to Oregon's six on the day against Washington State's Cameron Ward.
Uiagalelei also had a tackle for loss on a Cougars run play, but we can't forget about Teitum Tuitoi, the son of Oregon defensive line coach Tony Tuioti.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defender from nearby Sheldon did his part with a pass breakup at the line of scrimmage, patting down a pass and displaying a strong feel for the game.
Jordan Burch (1) and Blake Purchase (17)
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
Teitum Tuioti (left) and Matayo Uiagalelei (right)
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
Teitum Tuioti
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
The true freshmen trio has played a big role in Oregon's defense taking the next step under Tosh Lupoi and Dan Lanning. The Ducks head coach has taken notice, but he also knows there's more in the tank.
"If you're good enough you're old enough right?," Lanning said after a 38-24 win over the Cougars. "We've said it before, I think 15% of our snaps right now are freshmen. I think that speaks to us developing talent and us recruiting great talent. I have high expectations for them. So we're focused on some of the positive plays. I want to go focus on things that we can fix."
Veteran outside linebacker Jestin Jacobs made his highly-anticipated debut with the Ducks on Saturday and he too was impressed with what he saw from the youngsters. But it'd be a stretch to say he was surprised.
"I'm beyond impressed with our young guys," Jacobs said. "You come to practice, you're not gonna be able to tell that they're young guys. They come out there, they operate like they're veterans, like they should be in there.
"And that's why they're in there. Because they know how to step up to the occasion. The occasion's not too big for them. I feel like the mentality, the way they go about every day, I feel like they're veterans. I expect them to do anything that I expect the next man to do."
The depth of Oregon's defensive line has been crucial to the Ducks wearing down their opponents, and Saturday's showing is the latest example that this group is capable of great things.
