On a team full of stars, these are the three most underrated Ducks

If Oregon is going to achieve those national championship dreams in 2026, it will be because they stayed consistent and handled things when it didn't go according to plan.

The Ducks have the star power to be contenders, but it's the guys who will do their jobs quietly and consistently that give them a chance to be the best TEAM in college football this season. Here are three of Oregon's heroes of dependability.

1. Dave Iuli - Right Guard

At 6-3, 332 the Puyallup, Washington native has started 19 games for the Ducks as he enters his senior year, a reliable contributor on three straight offensive lines that earned Joe Moore Award finalist honors.

As a junior he earned a 78.9 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, helping to keep Dante Moore clean for all those touchdown throws.

"I love Dave," Lanning said last fall. "He comes out to work every day, always has a smile on his face. He's always asking, 'What can I do to be better for the team?'"

Iuli doesn't get mentioned for awards or All-America teams, but Dante Moore knows his value. "Dave is a vet," Moore said. "He knows how to communicate, he knows how to sacrifice for the team, and I'm glad to have him."

The Ducks are replacing three starters on the offensive line this season, including road grader left guard Emmanuel Pregnon, drafted in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. A'Lique Terry needs his veterans, Poncho Laloulu and Iuli, to bring that unit together and move opponents off the ball in the run game. Their leadership will be key for an otherwise-young group.

2. Teitum Tuioti - Edge Rusher

Oregon boasts one of the best defensive lines in the country this year with four senior starters returning, but somehow Teitum Tuioti typically gets mentioned last. It's especially odd because the defensive end/outside linebacker from Sheldon High School led the team in sacks last season with 9.5, which was fifth in the Big Ten.

Tuioti was fourth on the team in tackles with 68, tops among defensive linemen. He posted 16 tackles for loss, the only Duck in double digits, followed by Matayo Uiagalelei with 9.5. In the last two seasons he's started 29 straight games after playing in 13 as a freshman.

Tuioti is a superb finisher with the highest tackling rating in the EA Sports College Football video game among defensive linemen at 93. He logged 705 snaps on defense last year, third-most on the team behind safety Aaron Flowers and Uiagalelei.

3. Jeremiah McClellan - Wide Receiver

Jeremiah McClellan catches everything. He grabs passes with a defender pinning one arm, hangs on to balls tight roping the sideline or while getting clubbed in the end zone. Once in the College Football Playoff semifinal he caught a ball through De'Angelo Ponds.

McClellan is tough and tenacious, an every-down receiver from Christian Brothers College Prep in St. Louis, Missouri, 6-0, 195. When commentators mention Oregon's receiving room he often gets mentioned behind Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore, the electric 10.4 sprinters, but it was McClellan who played in all 15 games last year, pulling down 38 receptions for 557 yards and three touchdowns.

It seems like once a game he comes up with a ball that makes fans ask, "How did he catch that?" Sometimes the referees can't even believe it.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow