Tony Tuioti Discusses 'Play by committee' Approach, Oregon's Defensive Line in Fall Camp

Oregon sent three defensive lineman to the NFL in this year’s draft, and now the Ducks are looking to reload in 2025. The Ducks have recruited defensive linemen as well as any team in the country and Tony Tuioti spoke with reporters in Eugene following Oregon’s fall camp practice on Monday.

Below is a transcription of his media availability.

On Aydin Breland‘s athleticism

Tuioti: “I go back to photoshoots during his recruiting visit and he was doing all these ninja jumps and splits and everything else. Out there watching him the softball game, I’ve never seen a first baseman do that. Not only did it once, he did it like twice where he’s able to do the splits and catch it. It’s just a testament to the type of athlete he is. He’s a big body. He’s got position flex. Right now we’re training him outside, similar to (Jordan) Burch, similar to (Brandon) Dorlus. Then also on third down sliding him inside. He’s got the physical traits to be able to do the job, it’s just a matter of him learning the job and being able to execute at a high level. So glad we have him and he’s a guy who can fluctuate anywhere between 290-305 and I’m just excited for him, to see what he’s gonna be able to do for us this year.”

On what he saw from the defense during Saturday’s scrimmage

Tuioti: “I think just having all 11 guys in the run game. It takes all 11 guys to be able to stop the run and then we got some really good edge guys that can get after the quarterback. When we put them in passing situations we can allow the front to go out and be able to apply pressure on the quarterback and effect the quarterback. I think that showed up in the scrimmage. But today the offense got on us. And that’s a testament to the type of team we have. We always talk about iron sharpens iron, this whole camp it’s been offense one day, defense the next day and I wish we responded better to what happened today. We were put in a lot of different situations. We were in two-minute situation, four-minute situation. We needed to stop the offense to get the ball back and they got first downs twice so we lost that situation. I just love how Coach (Dan) Lanning continues to put us in situations where we compete. Today wasn’t our best day.”

On what people should know about Bear Alexander

Tuioti: “As we go through the recruiting process, obviously we gather as much information as we can. There’s the positive and there’s the negative out there. When we had a chance to sit down with him, my main focus with him is what are you gonna do in the building now? That’s all that matters. He’s been a great teammate. He’s a team-first guy. A’Mauri Washington’s girlfriend had a baby this summer and Bear called all the guys together and they had a baby shower over at his house. And that just shows a testament to what type of teammate he is. He cares about the brothers in his room and it showed a lot for him to be able to get a lot of guys together and do that for him. We want to recruit team-first guys and he definitely fits that mold for us.”

On why A’Mauri Washington will be ready for his time when the season starts

Tuioti: “He’s had an opportunity to play with a lot of defensive linemen in the room that are now playing on Sundays. You go back to guys like Taki Taimani that was a great example for him. Obviously you had DJ Harmon and Ja’Maree Caldwell were guys that he was rotating with. This is his time. It’s not easy to come in as a defensive lineman, it’s one of the toughest positions to play. You’re asking one person to take on 700 pounds at some point versus double-team blocks. He’s built himself up physically to be able to play those blocks. He’s got such a unique talent in terms of—he’s not like a lot of guys I’ve had in my career or even seen that have the ability he has at 330 pounds to be able to run as fast as he can. Today we had a high speed go drill and he’s running with outside linebackers up at the front. To have a guy that big and that athletic, it’s hard to find. He’s doing a really good job of understanding the defense. I see a lot of growth in him in the way he communicates and lines up guys. He’s a guy that we’re definitely gonna lean on a lot this year and it is his time. I expect him to have a big season and he’s working really hard to get to that point.”

On how his role as a coach has changed in the transfer portal era

Tuioti: “When we first came obviously we needed to fill some positions. Obviously with what was gone and the transfer portal is what we leaned on early. We felt really about the young men that we recruited the past couple years. We didn’t really go hard into the transfer portal even though we lost Ja’Maree Caldwell and DJ. We feel like the young men that we have right now are where we want them to be in terms of their development. You talk about Tionne Gray, Terrance Green, even Jericho Johnson. These guys have completely changed their bodies and are big enough and strong enough to be able to hold the point for us and we want to develop those guys to be the best they can. So as far the transfer portal, obviously people are gonna look and see if that’s a position of need. But at this point for us we got guys that we feel like we have the depth to be able to play.”

On how many defensive linemen are ‘above the line’

Tuioti: “I think right now at least six guys I feel really good about. Guys that can play winning football for us. Obviously where we want to be at is have as many guys as we can to be above the line. But feel really good about the guys that we have right now. Obviously we got the guys on the edge, Teitum (Tuioti) and Matayo (Uiagalelei) that have gotten a lot of experience with Blake Purchase. But I think this year’s gonna be a season with us the play by committee. Find the right guys. We got Tionne Gray and Terrance Green first and second down. Big body type guys that can go stop the run for us. If it’s gonna be third down or second and long type situations you got A’Mauri Washington, you got Aydin Breland, Bear Alexander. Those guys that can go win on the rush for us inside. We got guys that are playing above the line that can win for us and it’s just a matter of mix and matching personnel in terms of what the situation is so that we can go win those downs.”