Oregon's Dave Iuli Gets Candid on Mentoring Ducks' Young Offensive Linemen
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The massive shakeup in personnel along the offensive line was one of the key storylines during fall camp and entering the No. 13 Oregon Ducks' season. While an upset loss to Oklahoma State and an injury scare for quarterback Dante Moore against the USC Trojans have been among the key concerns for Ducks fans, questions about the offensive line linger.
Dave Iuli is one of two players who returned after starting every game on the offensive line for the Ducks in 2025. With a rotation of linemen – which heavily consists of freshmen and sophomores – switching in and out, Iuli's role as a leader becomes more critical.
Mentoring Oregon's Next Batch of Offensive Linemen
Outside of center offensive lineman Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu, there hasn't been much consistency for the unit both between seasons and at the start of 2026. A season-ending injury to left guard Trent Ferguson caused more shifting along the line, while true freshmen Immanuel Iheanacho, Tommy Tofi and Koloi Keli's growth has resulted in more snaps for the freshmen.
Add in that players like sophomores Ziyare Addison and Douglas Utu have gained larger roles, and Iuli's potential as a leading voice in the locker room and on the field is vital.
"I'll say my factor as a mentor has been huge just being an older guy around these young guys because it takes stress off the coaches, too," Iuli said on Tuesday. "I feel like when every day you got youngins coming in it almost gets repetitive of the same questions they're asking."
"So, it's so important for guys like me, Poncho, Kawika (Rogers), all the older guys, to be in there and be in the young guys ear of, letting them know, 'Hey, this is what we do here. This is how it goes. This is the play. This is what we're doing,'" he continued.
Iuli is a fifth-year for the Ducks, but he came off his 2025 season with a torn tricep. He wasn't featured as heavily in the season opener against Boise State, but he told the media on Tuesday that he's "fully back at 100 percent."
His newfound mentorship role not only benefits offensive line coach A'lique Terry and Oregon coach Dan Lanning. Iuli said it also sets up the future of "The Law Firm" to carry on the legacy of success, and it could even be beneficial to his own future.
"So being a mentor has not only helped the youngins, but it's helped me as well for if I ever want to be a future coach or just coaching somebody else up," Iuli said. "I feel like it helps them as well because they know when we get out of here, now we need them to be mentors, and it carries on the legacy here."
Offensive Lineman Koloi Keli's Progress
One specific player who Iuli's developed a bond with is the interior lineman, Keli. The true freshman was a three-star recruit coming out of Honolulu, Hawaii, but is someone who could be vying for a potential starting center role later down the line.
"I can say a lot of things about Koloi, especially me being Polynesian and me and him relating together," Iuli said. "I can say Koloi has came in. He's did everything the right way. And not only that, he works his butt off. And not only that, he does his job too."
"So, I think having him out there and being a guy that can lead block for us and being a young guy that we could just be reliable on has been really good so far for Koloi," he added. "He keeps that up, he's gonna do great in the future."
Lanning fielded his own question about Keli during his Monday press conference regarding his unique skill set as a "pseudo fullback."
"Yeah, physicality, right? Koloi's shown it again and again in practice, and we want guys to be able to play in that position with physicality. Right? He's pretty fast too. Who knows? Maybe we'll throw him a goal ball," Lanning joked.
The Ducks enter a pivotal and challenging stretch of games in Big Ten play. A ranked matchup against the No. 21 UCLA Bruins in Week 6 opens a gauntlet of a stretch that includes matchups against soaring Nebraska and Northwestern teams and the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes.
Iuli's veteran presence will be more important than ever both on and off the field as the Ducks battle for a third-straight College Football Playoff appearance.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oregon as Oregon's Dave Iuli Gets Candid on Mentoring Ducks' Young Offensive Linemen.
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