Oregon's Iapani Laloulu predicted to be named Rimington Award winner
· Yahoo Sports
Last season, the Oregon Ducks' offensive line was a driving force behind their run to the College Football Semifinal. But entering 2026, three new starters will be in place, with tackles Alex Harkey and Isaiah World and guard Emmanuel Pregnon heading to the NFL.
Despite the loss of those three, the Ducks are returning undoubtedly the most important piece of the unit: center Iapani Laloulu. This fall, with the starters along the offensive line still undecided coming out of spring practices, Laloulu will be tasked with using his experience and leadership to bring along a rather inexperienced group that has high expectations.
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Outside of that, big things are expected from Laloulu's own performance on the field. CBS Sports released their predictions for every major positional award this fall, with the Ducks center being tabbed as the Rimington Award winner, given to the top center in the nation.
"Dating back to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at the end of the 2023 season, Laloulu has started 30 consecutive games at center for the Ducks," Austin Nivison wrote. "Last season, he earned first-team All-American and second-team All-Big Ten honors. Laloulu was even a finalist for the Rimington Award, which went to Iowa's Logan Jones. This year, Laloulu will get the nod as he anchors an Oregon offensive line that should drive its team's championship pursuit."
If he decided to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, Laloulu would've been a sure-fire Day 2 pick. But his return is one of the reasons that the Ducks are expected to compete for a Big Ten title and make a deep run in the CFP, leading the charge at the pivot of the offensive line.
While it's just a prediction with roughly 100 days until the college football season is kicked off, if Laloulu is named the Rimington Award winner, he would be the second Ducks center to earn the honor, joining Jackson Powers-Johnson in 2023.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon C Iapani Laloulu predicted to win Rimington Award in 2026