Oregon
Oregon Ducks’ Most Important Returning Factor
The Oregon Ducks are returning 66 percent of their production from last season, according to ESPN. That’s the eleventh-highest in all of college football, but only the fifth-highest in the Big Ten Conference behind the No. 9 UCLA Bruins, No. 7 Minnesota Golden Gophers, No. 3 Nebraska Cornhuskers, and No. 2 Maryland Terrapins.
The most important returnees for fifth-year coach Dan Lanning and first-year defensive coordinator Chris Hampton in 2026 come out on the edge with arguably the sport’s most dangerous pass rush duo.
Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti
The 1-2 punch of the senior outside linebacker duo in Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti will be the faces of the defensive end room in Eugene, Oregon. That pair will be the foundation of the newly-appointed Hampton’s group in the middle.
Tuioti was awarded All-Big Ten Third Team honors in the 2025 season, while Uiagalelei was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. The two combined for 102 total tackles, 15.5 sacks, eight pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
Jerry Mixon
Senior inside linebacker Jerry Mixon also announced that he would be returning to the Pacific Northwest with expectations of an even more expanded role.
Mixon has tallied 65 tackles (34 solo, 31 assisted), seven pass deflections, two interceptions, and 1.5 sacks throughout his collegiate career thus far. Based on the production in the given snaps this past season, he’s poised for a national breakout year inside Autzen Stadium alongside the tenacity of Uiagalelei and Tuioti.
A’Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander
Can’t forget to mention senior defensive lineman A’mauri Washington and redshirt senior defensive lineman Bear Alexander, each well over 300 pounds, who do heaps of the dirty work that goes unnoticed to the masses. Their explosiveness and overall physicality make them intimidating figures in their respective roles.
More Returning, New Pieces on Oregon’s Defensive Line
As for the promising underclassmen returning on the 2026 roster, there are plenty of them to go around.
- Sophomore outside linebacker Nasir Wyatt
- Redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Elijah Rushing
- Sophomore inside linebacker Gavin Nix
- Redshirt sophomore inside linebacker Brayden Platt
- Redshirt sophomore inside linebacker Dylan Williams
The Ducks will have some new faces from across the country on the defensive front, coming out of the NCAA transfer portal.
- North Carolina Tar Heels junior D’Antre Robinson
- Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks redshirt senior Jerome Simmons
- Howard Bison redshirt senior Derrick Brown Jr.
- Oregon State Beavers redshirt freshman Bleu Dantzler
Looking even further down the road with Oregon’s pressure on the ball, these are the names from the incoming 2026 recruiting class. The entire class, with all positions, is ranked No. 4 in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten, according to Rivals.
- Four-star EDGE Anthony ‘Tank” Jones
- Four-star linebacker Braylon Hodge
- Four-star EDGE Prince Tavizon
- Four-star defensive lineman Tony Cumberland
- Three-star linebacker Tristan Phillips
- Three-star EDGE Dutch Horisk
- Three-star defensive lineman Anthony Jones
One can make the case that this whole group will be even stronger and deeper than last season’s team, which made the College Football Playoff semifinals, with a healthy mix of returning veterans acting as defensive leaders, experienced talent in the trenches, and skilled freshmen with untapped potential.
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Oregon
Man sentenced to 20 years for Oregon killing of girlfriend four decades ago
A 73-year-old man was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for the 1983 killing of his then-girlfriend. It was a case that went unsolved for more than 40 years.
The sentence was announced by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
In July 1983, Teresa Peroni, 27, was reported missing after attending a party in the Selma area of Josephine County southwest of Grants Pass. She was last seen walking in the woods with her boyfriend Marcus Sanfratello.
Authorities deemed Peroni’s disappearance suspicious, but they lacked evidence to bring charges against anyone.
In 1997, a human skull was found on private property near where Peroni disappeared. In 2024, authorities in Josephine County reopened the case. In addition to re-interviewing witnesses, they collected new DNA evidence to build a case against Sanfratello.
With the DNA, experts at the University of North Texas confirmed the skull was Peroni’s.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arraigned on murder charge in Oregon for death of then-girlfriend in 1980s cold case
A grand jury indicted Sanfratello of second-degree murder, on June 27, 2025.
Police arrested Sanfratello in Chico, California the next day. He was then extradited to Oregon to face the charge of murder.
Under a plea agreement, Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
He will serve at least 10 years in prison, Oregon’s attorney general’s office said.
“For Teresa Peroni’s family, this has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for,” Rayfield said in a news release. “Cases like this remind us of why we don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed — if someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
Oregon
100+ Women Who Care of Central Oregon Donates Nearly $20,000 to M Perfectly – The Source – Bend, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon Ducks Safety Target Elijah Butler Nearing Crucial Point in Recruitment
The Oregon Ducks are set for one of the biggest timelines of their recruiting cycle, as many top targets are nearing commitments. This time around, the Ducks have a ton of top targets still remaining on their board compared to past seasons, as the Ducks have eight total commitments at this time.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff still need to land a safety commitment, but three-star safety Elijah Butler out of Maryland recently included the Ducks in his final six schools.
Oregon Target Elijah Butler Makes Exciting Recruiting Announcement
Butler announced his top six schools ahead of a crucial part of his recruitment, according to a graphic by Leyton Roberts. The Ducks made the cut alongside the Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The talented prospect would be a great addition for any of these teams, as they could all use a safety prospect at this point in the recruiting timeline.
Butler is from the state of Maryland, which makes the Terrapins one to watch.
It is also worth noting that he has been labeled as one of the best players in the state of Maryland, as he currently ranks as the state’s No. 9 prospect, according to Rivals. This is important as the Terrapins have always made solid attempts to land their in-state stars, including last season when they landed one of the better players in the state’s history, Zion Elee.
As of now, the prospect hasn’t been predicted to land with any of these schools, which means it is likely still a tight race entering the official visit schedule. He has yet to schedule an official visit with all of the schools he has listed in his top six, as he is still missing three key official visits. Butler has scheduled official visits with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, according to 247Sports. This means he still needs to set one with Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Maryland if he wants to take one to each school.
If the Ducks are able to get Butler on a visit, then they would likely be in a more favorable position to land his commitment, as it currently. seems they are one of the trailing teams from this list. It seems highly unlikely that the Ducks will gain his commitment unless they get him on an official visit, which is still possible at this point, as plenty of top prospects across the nation are still scheduling their official visits.
As of now, the Ducks have 27 prospects set to take an official visit, according to 247Sports. Among all of the prospects who have scheduled a visit thus far, only one of the players is listed as a safety. That player is a three-star target, Junior Tu’upo. This leads one to believe that the Ducks could try to get Butler on a visit, or at a minimum, pitch their program to the prospect from St Frances Academy.
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