Iapani Laloulu: "This year's offensive line group is super talented."

A key component of Oregon’s success in 2024 was the play of the offensive line. As a group, they may have started off a bit slow, but once they hit their stride, it was an unquestionable strength of the Oregon football team. Fast forward to 2025 and only one starter remains, Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu.

Poncho had big shoes to fill last season, taking over for Rimmington award winner, Jackson Powers Johnson. Laloulu took no time to establish himself as an elite center and has set his own personal goals at the highest level – Bringing another Rimmington home and performing at a level this season to take him to the NFL.

Here are some of his quotes from Oregon Media day:

On the coaches recognizing his leadership growth

“Man, it’s an honor just knowing that your coaches (recognize you), especially from the head man. (From) coach Lanning and then to coach Stein and then to coach Terry to have that trust in me and just building that leadership for me. Building that leadership role for me is very crucial because I was never that person to like, you know, be so vocal and stuff, but in the position that I play, I know I need to speak up. So being able to just be vocal on the field and being a leader for the boys on the field and off the field as well. It’s been it’s been challenging, but you know, I’ve gotten better over the time, just being able to build that relationship with everyone.”

Areas to improve in leadership

“I just getting out of my comfort zone. Just little stuff, not letting little things go. You know, calling out the guys, being able to hold dudes accountable and when dudes hold me accountable, having up that standard as well. Got a lot of older guys in that room.” 

Bonding with the new transfers

“Yeah, man. I mean, the bonds, (we’ve) bonded pretty quick, you know, like those guys like Alex, Isaiah, and Emmanuel. Like the way we bonded was is quick. I mean, as offensive line, if you guys all five guys are not on the same page, then it’s going to be a rough, rough season. You know what I’m saying? So being able to connect with them like on the field also off the field as well has been awesome.”

Starting out better as a unit than last year

“I think just learning from our mistakes from last season and coming off kind of like slow. Our mentality coming into the season, we got to start fast for offensive line wise. (Last year), it was bad. Even for me, I know it was bad, but you know, just focusing on this season with a new group, just attacking it from day one.”

Key to starting fast

“I think everything plays a part into it mentally. You (have) got to be mentally strong. Physically, been hitting away this past offseason and seeing the numbers for all the guys going up. Being level headed and not being so high in the moment (or) too low. Just having that next play mentality and stop think(ing) of the worst case scenarios, sometimes you just got to let it go. Not worry about the outside noise and just play.”

Learning from last year

“I think one thing I did learn – not everybody’s for us, at the end of the day you know it’s just “us against everybody.” It’s “Oregon versus everybody” and at the end of the day, I take my guys right next to me and the guys who I train with against anybody in this world.” 

New personalities in the OL room

“Isaiah, he’s one funny dude. I don’t know what it was, he just came in one practice and he started making like some funny noises in the weight room and on the field and we’re like “dude what are you doing?” But it was just funny though. Harkey, Harkey. Yeah, he’s a loud dude too. He’s funny. Like those guys came along a long way, you know?”

On joking around off the field 

“I mean, yeah, having guys that, you know, that you know, sometimes like you can turn off, you know, all that seriousness in football and have fun with the guys and it’s always good, you know, being able to just have fun and enjoy each other’s company and being able to bond as well.”

Establishing relationships helps on the field

“Yeah, like I mean I’m a big relationship dude, so like I like to build relationships on and off the field as well. So being able to know like what’s their “why” and “what” drives them every single day can help me. Like if they’re ever like slacking, if I’m slacking, they can hold me accountable. At the end of the day, this game of football is a kids game. So we’ve been doing it for so long. So I just like to have fun every single time I get on the field.”

Answering questions about the state of the line

“At the end of the day, you know we talked about it, (the) best is going to go on the field. So working with Dante this past offseason was awesome. Just getting the guys prepared you know for anything. We’ve been doing it for so long for this offseason from January all the (way) up until now. So now it’s just time to continue to critique what we have throughout fall camp and bring it (against) Montana State.”

His personal goals

“Yeah, I mean, one of my main ones is to bring that Remington back home where it belongs. Bring that Remington and put it back up here in the facility over here.”

Reaching his personal goals

“I just (have) got to do my thing. You know what I’m saying? Just don’t be too high in the moment. Don’t be too low and just attack it every single day. We talk about it throughout this fall camp. We need to have day one juice. What “juice” for us means – joining us and creating excitement. Just having that same mentality and that juice every single day, you know, bringing the team along with me as well.”

Heading to the NFL next year

“Yeah, man. I mean, that’s the goal to go (to the NFL). My goal is to not come back this after the season, but at the end of the day, I’m a big fate dude. So, whatever the Lord has planned for me, I go and do.”

Describing his own leadership style

“I think my leadership, I think that just that’s something I built. (A) dude that I did look up to when I was a freshman was Steven Jones. He was a guy who I really looked up to and Marcus Harper, and my brother who played here as well, Faaope. Um, those three dudes are kind of my main leaders and who I look up to and kind of take, you know, some things I learned from them and instill into me so I can be a leader for these guys.”

Offensive line coming together as a unit

“This year’s offensive line group is super talented. Like honestly, it don’t matter who we put in the game. I know like the ones or twos like anybody can play and that’s what we’re trying to build over. Trying to build guys like, be ready to play next. You know what I’m saying? No matter what happens, if you’re able to play and you can dominate, the coach will play (you). That’s just how it is.” 

Avoiding early season struggles

“Just staying vocal and being that leader. You know what I’m saying? Being able to lead the guys. Last year I feel like that was a big thing. I think my part was not being able to be vocal with the guys and just shadowing some of the guys last year (like Marcus Harper). I think this year I’ve been building that leadership trait. Just being more vocal, helping the guys on the field and off the field as well.”

On Dante Moore building a relationship

“Oh yeah, Dante did (help build a relationship) last year as well. Even this year, recently he took a bunch of the guys to this house to go have fun. You know, barbecue and chop it up, and then he just took the O line to go bowling. So, like I said, relationship plays a huge part into this team. If we’re not connected off the field as well, I think that’s where a big problem is going to fall into our team. This school is one that’s becoming known to produce some really good offensive linemen.” 

Preparing for the season

“Yeah. We take a lot of pride in our work. We have awesome coaches. Shout out to Coach Terry, Coach Walk, Coach Cutt, Coach Warmack, and Coach Whip. They do a hell of a job to make sure that we’re on point every single time, making sure that we’re prepared. Before even the next day comes, they’re already sending out, scripts and installs for us to look at so we know what’s to come tomorrow. Like I said, building off of that from last year of how we started slow, just building off of that and just going off and starting off fast.”