College Football's Most Important Players: No. 10 DT A'Mauri Washington, Oregon

The 330-pound centerpiece of Oregon's defense turned down a second-round draft grade to come back for more Ducks football in 2026.

Oregon Ducks defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington is one of the top disruptors in college football. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Dante Moore's first pass of the Peach Bowl went straight to Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, who returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Nothing got better from there.

The Hoosiers led 35-7 at halftime, won the College Football Playoff semifinal 56-22 on Jan. 9 in Atlanta and then handled Miami for the national championship to complete a 15-0 season.

Two days after that loss, A'Mauri Washington announced on social media that he would return to Eugene for 2026. The defensive tackle held a potential second-round grade from the NFL College Advisory Committee and had drawn first-round projections during the year. He passed on the draft anyway.

Teitum Tuioti, who ranks at No. 22 on this most important players list, and Matayo Uiagalelei revealed the same decision later that week, and Bear Alexander had committed to another season back in December. Every starter on Oregon's defensive front is back, and Washington is the reason this group scares opponents.

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No. 10: A'Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon Ducks

The 6-foot-3, 330-pound senior started all 15 games in 2025, his first year as a full-time starter, and finished with 33 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His eight batted passes tied for the most among FBS defensive linemen.

Pro Football Focus credited him with 22 pressures, third on the team. Big Ten coaches and media voted him third-team all-conference, and ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. placed him at No. 25 on his board for the 2026 NFL draft before Washington withdrew from consideration.

A big-bodied interior defender who knocks down that many throws is a problem because quarterbacks lose their passing lanes even on the snaps Washington never touches anyone.

They don't make many like #Oregon DT A'Mauri Washington

Physical specimen at 6'3 330 ... he's a guy you want on the field on 3rd-and-long

Wins with unreal athleticism (quickness / burst for days), strength, power and effort

Ceiling is sky high #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/iFxdnckOeB

— Fran Duffy (@FDuffyNFL) July 23, 2026

Washington is from Detroit and finished at Chandler High School in Arizona, where he earned a four-star rating and ranked as On3's No. 31 defensive lineman nationally. He chose Oregon over offers from LSU, Oklahoma and Michigan State.

The Chandler product knows exactly where his film falls short as evaluators counted eight missed tackles in his 2025 season, and he named the fix himself this spring.

"More of finishing plays," Washington said. "I feel like it'd be times when you get there, excellent block release, all of that, but then it's just the finish. It's one thing to get there, but you've got to finish on it."

Washington leads Oregon's returning defensive line

The Walter Camp Football Foundation named Washington a preseason second-team All-American in June, one of four Ducks selected. Only Texas placed more players, and Oregon's four tied defending champion Indiana for second-most in the country.

Oregon blanked Big 12 champion Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl quarterfinal on Jan. 1 before the Atlanta collapse a week later. A defense that can shut out a No. 4 seed and still give up 56 points eight days later has one clear assignment, and it starts with the big men in the trenches setting the tone every week.

Oregon linebacker Teitum Tuioti, left, defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington and defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei celebrate a sack. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If it's not already clear, Oregon has the best defensive line in America on paper, and Washington will decide whether that holds up to scrutiny this year. Tuioti and Uiagalelei need single blocks to wreck games via pass rush, and single blocks only exist if Washington demands doubles inside.

Oregon opens against Boise State at Autzen Stadium on Sept. 5 and visits USC in Los Angeles later this season, a matchup where opposing coaches have already identified him as the player they must plan around.