Northwestern · W 34-26
5 tackles, 0.5 for loss, 0 sacks
The other 7 games average 4 tackles. This one was 1 above.
5 stories in the last 60 days, from 3 outlets.
Oregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei Details Ducks' Response to UCLA Loss
Sports Illustrated +1 Oct 14
As of
The five-star broke out in 2024 (10.5 sacks, first-team All-Big Ten) and stayed productive in 2025 (six sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles), pushing his career total to 18.5 sacks across three seasons. Paired with fellow top-ten edge Teitum Tuioti, he gives Oregon a front that can wreck a game without blitzing — exactly what a national-title defense is built on. The forward stakes are a Playoff run on a roster that returned its quarterback (Dante Moore) and its defensive core. The question for 2026 is whether the sack production climbs back toward its 2024 peak — because if it does, Oregon's defense becomes the problem of the season, and Uiagalelei becomes a first-rounder.
So far in 2026 Uiagalelei has four sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss among 18 tackles, plus an interception he returned 11 yards.
Update (Oct. 28, 2026): Oregon lost 21-10 at Illinois as a 10.5-point favorite on Oct. 24 and is 4-3. Uiagalelei has 28 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks through seven games, with 4 tackles at Illinois.
Sources
Play style
Uiagalelei wins with length, power, and a relentless motor more than pure bend — at five-star size he sets a hard edge against the run and converts speed into power against the pass. The production is real and sustained: 10.5 sacks and All-Big-Ten in 2024, 18.5 for his career. The honest note is the 2025 dip — his sack total fell to six even as the disruption held (9.5 tackles for loss), the kind of season where the pressures didn't turn into finishes. In Oregon's loaded front, next to Teitum Tuioti, he doesn't have to carry it alone, which only makes him harder to handle one-on-one. The forward question is simple: do the finishes return to the 2024 level? If they do, he's a first-rounder and the Ducks' defense is a nightmare.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
33 tackles. 0 passes defended. 1 interception. 6 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 3 outlets
Oregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei Details Ducks' Response to UCLA Loss
Sports Illustrated +1 Oct 14 · 2 outlets
Sports IllustratedOregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei Gets Candid on Dante Moore's Big ChangeSep 22from 4 outlets
Oregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei Details Ducks' Response to UCLA Loss
Sports Illustrated +1 Oct 14 · 2 outlets
On3Matayo Uiagalelei reveals he muted father on social media: ‘I don’t need to see all that’Aug 18Sports IllustratedOregon Coach Kamran Araghi Speaks Candidly On Matayo Uiagalelei's Offseason TransformationAug 15Sports IllustratedOregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei Gets Candid on Dante Moore's Big ChangeSep 22Sports Illustrated +1On3Sports IllustratedEach week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Last game (Wk 9): 5 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-27vs Boise State | 8 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 31-39@ Oklahoma State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 84-0vs Portland State | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 41-27@ No. 12 USC | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 15-17vs No. 21 UCLA | 6 | 4 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 7 | W 17-14vs Nebraska | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 10-21@ Illinois | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 34-26vs No. 20 Northwestern | 5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 13 | 6.0 | 4.5 | 1 | 0 |
Oct. 31 · W 34-26 vs Northwestern, play by play
5 tackles. He hurried the quarterback twice.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 2-yard loss. Fourth quarter, up 34-26.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 6 tackles for loss, 4 of them sacks, in the 8 games with play by play.
How Oregon’s defense played that day
Northwestern’s 11 drives: 5 stopped · 6 scored. While the game was within a score they held 5 of 11. His hurry came with Oregon down 3.
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
6 tackles, including 1 more for loss. He hurried the quarterback twice.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
6 tackles, including 2 sacks, tied for the most sacks in FBS that week.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 13-yard loss on 3rd and 19. Third quarter, down 10-6.
3 tackles, including 1 sack.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 2 of his 3, sacks included.
Sacked the quarterback for a 6-yard loss. First quarter, tied 0-0.
0 tackles. He hurried the quarterback once.
1 tackle, including 1 interception. His interception ended Oklahoma State’s drive (int).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Intercepted. Second quarter, down 17-7. Ended Oklahoma State’s drive (int).
8 tackles, including 1 sack.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 7 of his 8, sacks included.
Sacked the quarterback for a 8-yard loss. Fourth quarter, up 34-27.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from +7 to +15 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
33tackles this seasonTFL rate
18%6 TFLSack rate
14%4 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups33 tackles · 6 for loss · 4.5 sacks · 1 interception.
4 seasons under Dan Lanning — 43-8 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 5.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Road3g | 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 4.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 4.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dan Lanning
Pass share
52.9%
289 pass / 257 run
Plays / game
68.2
8 games
Team sack rate
3.5%
313 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Player standing · 2026
Fewer tackles a game than most FBS linebackers who play every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Former four-star. Now #27 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #8 of 72 Big Ten LBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 35% of returning players who ranked #4–10 at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 31–38%).
One of 52 players who were elite at two different things in 2025. See the others ›
2026 is in progress.
A blue-chip recruit with honors.
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-BIG TEN · 1ST TEAM
All-Big Ten 1st team (2024)
Weekly recognition
1 weekly honor (2024)
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed every college season under Dan Lanning.
CBS Sports College Football
