Dan Lanning provides update on status of Oregon defensive lineman Popo Aumavae
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was unwilling to discuss many details from the Ducks’ first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday afternoon. But he did provide one notable injury update.
Popo Aumavae, Oregon’s senior all-conference nose tackle, was able to take part in the scrimmage after he was absent from Friday’s practice.
“Popo was out there a little bit. (Junior defensive lineman Keyon Ware-Hudson) was not,” Lanning said when asked about the status of each player.
That’s significant news for the Ducks and should prompt a collective sigh of relief from the program’s fan base. Aumavae was one of the top interior defensive linemen in the nation in 2021. But he suffered a foot injury last fall that kept him sidelined for the entire 2022 campaign.
Aumavae was full-go to start fall camp and was seen during each open practice until Friday, when he, Ware-Hudson, receiver Justius Lowe, and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Michael Wooten were all absent. Lanning also noted that Lowe did not participate in Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I’m ready to go,” Aumavae said at Oregon’s media day in July. “I’m ready to strike somebody. .. (last season) was definitely frustrating. But I don’t want to focus on the past. We’re here and we’re moving forward. I’m excited about that.”
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Aumavae racked up 16 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss for the Ducks and was consistently one of the best run-stoppers in the Pac-12 in 2021. Pro Football Focus issued him an overall grade of 81.3 that season — the best among all Pac-12 interior defensive linemen.
“Anytime you ask me a question regarding a large human who can move fast and strike with violence and rush the passer, it’s going to excite us. That’s what Popo does,” Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi said earlier this month. “What I respect about Popo is what he’s been doing off the field with body preservation, the way he’s attacking his rehab and his diet. When you look at his weight, sometimes it’s surprising what he is and then seeing him move out there.
“I’m really excited about it and of how he’s attacking every day. Now with him, it’s about getting the rust off, getting in tune schematically, and then of course improving his fundamentals and technique.”
Aumavae, Ware-Hudson, senior defensive end Brandon Dorlus, junior defensive end Jordan Burch, and senior defensive tackle Casey Rogers are expected to form the nucleus of Oregon’s defensive line in 2023.