Teitum Tuioti would play early if his name were Joe Smith.
A 2023 freshman from Sheldon High School in Eugene, Oregon, he happens to be the son of Oregon defensive line coach Tony Tuioti, who came to the Ducks in December 2021 after three seasons at the University of Nebraska.
Several factors are converging here. Number one, head coach Dan Lanning has repeatedly said, "If you're good enough, you'll play." Teitum is good enough. His senior highlight film pops with big-dog, big time properties, among them pursuit, passion, anticipation, quick feet and football smarts. He reads plays. He's relentless to the quarterback or the ball carrier. He makes tackles down the field and on the other side of the field. He plays like a guy who loves football, with a motor that doesn't stop.
Another fact to note is that coaches in every state always talk about "building a fence around the state," which is football-speak for making sure all the best available prospects in their given state stay home. You don't want them to wind up at Washington, USC, Oregon State or Nebraska. 6-3, 220, Tuitoti was the number one rated recruit in Oregon, #213 in the entire country: definitely one to keep home.
His family home is in Laie, Hawaii and he played his sophomore and junior years at Lincoln Southeast High in Lincoln, Nebraska, so a lot of states and coaches tried to claim him. A Polynesian Bowl selection as a senior, he led Sheldon to the 6A state championship game while being named to the Prepstar All-Region team. His high school coach was Josh Line, the former Oregon fullback who played in the Joey Harrington years.
At Edge Rusher, defensive end or outside linebacker (his exact landing spot depends on need, injuries and availability, and how his body develops) Tuioti has several talented and experienced players ahead of him, but with the energy and understanding of the game he has, he will earn snaps. His fast feet and relentless pursuit angles make him an excellent candidate to play immediately on special teams.
Tuioti is what scouts call "a plus-athlete." He has a 32-inch vertical and a long wingspan and moves like a big cat in the Savannah. At Sheldon he had 84 tackles, 30.0 tackles for loss, 13.0 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a pick-6 along with a safety and two pass deflections. He also caught 24 passes for 446 yards and six touchdowns while rushing 12 times for 44 yards and a score.
On defense, that's extremely high productivity for an outside linebacker/end, a further testament to his mobility and every-down effort. Thirty tackles for loss is insane--in 2022, the Ducks had 53 as an entire team.
Teitum enrolled early at Oregon and participated in spring practice. In the Spring Game he had two tackles and a quarterback hurry while breaking up a pass in the end zone that he almost intercepted.
His mom Keala and his sister Teisa both played college volleyball. Back in Lincoln, the family reserved a gym every Wednesday, and it was not the volleyball you remember from a church picnic. He also played on a travel rugby team while in middle school--played at a high level, both sports are incredibly effective agility training for a defensive football player, and it shows.
About rugby Tuioti said, “It really helped me with my tackling form. In football you’re more kind of diving into people because you got pads and a helmet,” he said. “But in rugby, if you dive at someone you’re going to get cleated in the face or you’re going to face-plant. So you have to be more safe about tackling.”
It's also a sport that produces a high level of camaraderie and teamwork. Rugby is a sport with a tremendous community feel.
He has two older brothers, Teivis and Teilor, younger sisters Teiyana and Teinia. Speaking to the website Nebraska preps, he said, “I really love my family. With my dad’s job, we’ve moved around like seven or eight times,” Teitum said. “They’ve been with me my whole life and I don’t know where I’d be without them. They’re just really fun to hang around with.”
He credits his LDS faith for giving him balance, another thing that readily shows in the focus he demonstrates on the football field.
In a funny twist, veteran Oregon defensive lineman Casey Rogers has a special relationship with Teitum and the Tuioti family:
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