A'Mauri Washington ready to prove himself after learning from Oregon Ducks' NFL teammates

USA Today

a day ago

Throughout the decades, the Oregon Ducks have produced some legendary defensive linemen in Eugene who have gone on to the NFL. From guys like Haloti Ngata and Igor Olshansky to Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, the Ducks' trenches have earned their fair share of respect. Most recently, players like Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell were selected in the first and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, furthering Oregon's legacy.
Going into 2025, junior A'Mauri Washington is ready to continue that legacy.
He's patiently waited behind guys like Brandon Dorlus, Taki Taimani, and Casey Rogers. But now, with a new regime taking over in the middle, it's his time to stand up. The preseason buzz has also started to build, aided by Washington's placement at No. 4 on The Athletic's "Freaks List" earlier this month. With the ability to run almost 21 miles per hour, vertical jump 36 inches, squat 755 pounds, and bench press 475 pounds, all while standing 6-foot-3, 340 pounds, Washington is likely to turn some heads.
While the attention is on him, he doesn't want any glory without proving why he deserves it first.
"People will tell you how good you can be, how good you are," Washington said on Friday after practice. "I'm saying it doesn't really matter until you go out there and show the next thing. Like I could do something good last year, it doesn't really matter until I do something again this year."
Washington will have the chance to do a lot of good things this year, as he enters the season projected as the starting defensive tackle for Oregon, alongside USC transfer Bear Alexander. With both Harmon and Caldwell moving on to the NFL, there is a production voice upfront, and Washington is looking to use what he learned from those guys to step up to the plate.
'I feel like just seeing the way they used to practice and all that stuff," Washington said. "Not even just them, though, the people that came before, like Taki, everybody that was just like, able to be drafted at our D-Line room — I was able to see the things that they did to, like, actually be right in front of me, to see them applying and practice, and then go show it on game day. It was just like, man, like, I'm in here in the same position to do what they were doing. So like, why can't I do it too?'
It doesn't take a trained eye to look at Washington on the field and see that he fits the mold. When you see him run and watch him move, it's apparent that he is cut out to succeed both at Oregon and at the next level.
But he will be the first one to pump the brakes for you before you go too far down the road. First, just let him show you what he can do.
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