Matayo Uiagalelei came back to Oregon for his senior season instead of entering the NFL Draft, and five games in he is doing what Oregon needed him to do. He has started all five games, per the official box scores, and has a sack in four of them: Boise State, Portland State, USC and UCLA, where he had two (ESPN box score, Oct 10, 2026). Add 3.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and one unusual line for an edge rusher: an interception. In the opener, right after Oregon took a 34-27 lead with 7:51 left, he sacked Maddux Madsen for an 8-yard loss on Boise State's next possession, which ended in a punt.
That pick came at Oklahoma State. With Oregon down 17-7 in the second quarter, he picked off Drew Mestemaker at the Oklahoma State 12 and ran it back to the 1. Jordon Davison scored on the next play. He played 63 of Oregon's 87 defensive snaps that night (Ducks Wire / Yahoo Sports). At USC he sacked Jayden Maiava for a 6-yard loss on the opening drive, a drive that ended in a missed field goal.
He came into this season with 18.5 career sacks, 10.5 of them in 2024 and 6 more in 2025, when he was a Lombardi Award semifinalist. Through UCLA that number is 23.5, per ESPN.
Week 9 vs Northwestern, Oct 31, 2026
5 tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hurries against Northwestern. He shared the sack with Bear Alexander on the drive that ended in Northwestern's missed 42-yard field goal with 5:14 left, and hurried Aidan Chiles on the third-down incompletion just before it.
ESPN box score and play-by-play, Oct 31, 2026
3
Sacks (2026)
Boise St., Portland St., USC
1
Interception
Returned 11 yds at Okla. St.
23.5
Career Sacks
ESPN, through UCLA 2026
63 of 87
Snaps at Okla. St.
Ducks Wire / Yahoo
Matayo Uiagalelei Oregon Highlights
5 sacks and an interception through UCLA, plus a blocked field goal.
Via YouTube
23.5
Career sacks through UCLA, 2026 (ESPN)
10.5 in 2024, 6 in 2025, and 5 through five games of his senior year. Plus an interception at Oklahoma State.
thequackreport.com
The Impact
The Big Ten's best offensive lines are still ahead: Ohio State on Nov 7 and Michigan on Nov 14. To beat those teams, Oregon needs a rusher who can win one-on-one against NFL-caliber tackles, and Uiagalelei is the one with the track record. His length, first step and bend around the edge are all traits the NFL pays for. Oregon has 9 sacks through five games and he has 5 of them. Our read: the pass rush is still streaky. There were no sacks at Oklahoma State and none after the first quarter at USC, and pressure that lasts four quarters is the part of his game, and the whole front's, to watch.
The Decision to Return
Uiagalelei could have entered the 2026 draft. He came back for his senior season. Oregon had been to the College Football Playoff two straight years and lost both times, the second a 56-22 loss to Indiana in the Peach Bowl in January, and he chose to be part of the next try. His return also gave Chris Hampton a proven anchor on the edge, and four starts in, that is exactly how Oregon has used him.
NFL Draft Stock
He is a senior, and 2026 is the tape the NFL will judge. Preseason, this page called him a projected first-round pick. We have not found a current projection from a source we would cite, so we are leaving the draft slot off until we can. What he controls is on the field: 5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss and an interception through five games, plus a blocked field goal against UCLA, and his biggest audition is at Ohio State on Nov 7. Edge rushers are the most valuable non-quarterback position in the NFL, and every snap this fall counts.
The Front Four
Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti, A'Mauri Washington, Bear Alexander. The official box scores listed all four as starters in each of the first four games, with Uiagalelei and Tuioti on the edges. The results have moved week to week: 3 sacks against Boise State, none at Oklahoma State, 2 against Portland State and 2 at USC, where USC averaged 3.6 yards a carry, its lowest of the season. When this group wins up front, Oregon can rush four and drop seven. That is the formula that wins in November.
Watch List for 2026
1
Four quarters of pressure: both USC sacks came on the opening drive. Watch whether the rush holds up into the fourth.
2
Hurries, not just sacks: 2 through five games, per the box scores. Pressure that does not finish still changes throws.
3
Setting the edge: Oklahoma State ran for 244 yards outside of sacks. Holding the edge is half his job.
4
Ohio State on Nov 7: the best offensive line on the schedule and the biggest audition of his final season.
5
The rotation behind him: Elijah Rushing played in every one of Oregon's first five games, through UCLA on Oct 10. Fresh legs late keep the rush honest.
Frequently Asked Questions
He is a senior, so 2026 is his final college season and the 2027 NFL Draft comes next. He came back to Oregon for 2026 instead of entering the 2026 draft.
Edge rusher, at 6-5 and 272 pounds. Oregon's official box scores list him at LB among the starters, the same way they list Teitum Tuioti. He is the primary pass rusher in Chris Hampton's defense.
5 in 2026 through UCLA (Boise State, Portland State, USC and two against UCLA), and 23.5 in his career per ESPN: 2 in 2023, 10.5 in 2024, 6 in 2025 and 5 in 2026.
Yes, at Oklahoma State on Sept 12, 2026, with Oregon down 17-7. He returned it 11 yards to the Oklahoma State 1, and Jordon Davison scored on the next play.
Sources: GoDucks.com, 247Sports, ESPN, NFL Draft Scout (2025-2026). This page covers on-field performance and publicly available recruiting data only.
