Tony Tuioti details special feeling of seeing son play at Oregon

Oregon defensive line coach Tony Tuioti has enjoyed getting to see his son a lot more as of late. Teitum Tuioti joined the Ducks this offseason as a three-star freshman, where he’ll get the opportunity to work closely with his father.

Tony Tuioti admitted that the demands of his job sometimes caused him not to be able to see his family as often as he would like. That extra time with his son has so far been his favorite part of having him on the roster.

“Just seeing him every day,” the coach said. “As a dad in this profession, you miss a lot just being around your kids and not being able to see them. To see him in the building and see him in meeting and see him out at practice, it’s a really, really cool experience.”

Teitum Tuioti ranked as the No. 505 overall player and No. 45 edge defender in the 2023 cycle according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He played the first three years his high school career Lincoln (NE) Southeast High School as his dad was previously the defensive line coach at Nebraska from 2019-21.

He made the move to Sheldon (OR) High School for his senior season as the family arrived in Eugene. The young defender had offers from Nebraska, Ole Miss, Tennessee and a host of others, but the opportunity to play for his father factored into why he chose the Ducks.

Tony Tuioti has seen the determination in his son since he arrived on campus at Oregon in the spring. It’s been encouraging to watch him grow not just physically, but also as a person as he prepares to embark on his college career.

“No. 1, just the maturity. He’s matured a lot as a person just from the development side,” Tony Tuioti said. Coach Lanning does a really good job with the staff in terms of the connection side. Coach Willie Love does a great job in the weight room. He’s added like 30 pounds to his frame since he’s been on campus. That’s a testament to coach Love and his staff and also Brenna (Sleggs), our nutritionist.”

Teitum Tuioti has been working with the outside linebackers so far and will hope to continue to make an impact as the Ducks aim to compete for a Pac-12 title in 2023. Oregon will kick off the season on Sept. 2 with a home game against Portland State.