NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Iapani Laloulu, C, Oregon
Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Bucs fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Tampa Bay.
Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Bucs, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Bucs fans can be the most informed fans.
So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall.
Player Information
Player: Iapani Laloulu
School: Oregon
Height/Weight: 6-2/325 lbs.
Player Background
- 4-Star Recruit
- Under Armour All-American
- Freshman All-American in 2023
- All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2024
Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season
- 28 Career Games
- 15 Career Starts
Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season
- 66.6 PFF Run Blocking Grade
- 79.9 PFF Pass Blocking Grade
- 623 Run Blocking Snaps
- 760 Pass Blocking Snaps
Player Traits
- Excellent awareness to pick up defenders
- Great balance and footwork
- Has the power to handle anyone and knock defenders on their heels
- NFL size and length to plug and play as a rookie
Player Summary
Iapani Laloulu immediately emerged as one of the top-tier options in this class at the center position, alongside Jake Slaughter. Laloulu has excellent awareness to pickup defenders who try to swing inside the middle of the offensive line to break through. He never gets caught off guard, allowing for some excellent pass rush reps. He generates excellent power off the snap and can punch defenders back on their heels. To top it all off, he has the size to be able to do all of this to NFL-sized players when he is drafted next April.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
WR Odell Beckham Jr. eyeing NFL comeback, will Steelers make a move?
Three-time Pro Bowl WR Odell Beckham Jr. has drawn interest from several teams and plans to play somewhere in 2025, per OBJ posted himself, he is not retiring, and he continues to train in anticipation of being on the field soon. Several teams are reportedly interested in a two-time All-Pro wide receiver who's eyeing a return to the NFL — could the Pittsburgh Steelers be one of them? On Wednesday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that WR Odell Beckham Jr. is looking to play in the 2025 season and that several teams are interested in the former 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Beckham is best known for his four-year stint with the New York Giants — from his viral one-handed catch against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 to his three Pro Bowl selections during his time in Big Blue. The talented wide receiver was traded to the Browns in 2019 and has since played for the Rams, Ravens, and most recently the Dolphins in 2024. It's no secret that one of the weakest areas on the Steelers roster is at wide receiver. While the Black and Gold roster boasts several young, hungry wideouts, Beckham's veteran presence and proven track record of success could be a low-risk, high-reward move for the Aaron Rodgers-led offense in 2025. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Scottie Scheffler explains how he chose his fill-in caddie for Ted Scott for the BMW
Ted Scott has been on Scottie Scheffler's bag for all 17 of his victories since they started working together in late 2021. OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Nathan Hubbard, the brother of veteran pro Mark Hubbard, may have described Scottie Scheffler's dominant stretch this season best in a humorous tweet: 'The only thing beating Scottie Scheffler head-to-head right now is his hairline.' Scheffler has won four times, including two majors, and hasn't finished outside the top 8 in his last 12 starts, the longest stretch of such form since Tom Weiskpof did so more than 50 years ago. But Scheffler will have a new twist to deal with this week as he pursues his fifth victory of the season at the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club. He'll be without caddie Ted Scott, who is dealing with a family matter. Scheffler didn't want to speak about whether Scott might return for next week's Tour Championship but said, 'I think Ted's where he needs to be right now, and I think caddying is probably the last thing on his mind, as it should be.' He added: 'I've been able to talk to him a few times. The family is in good spirits. Everybody seems to be doing well. I'm not going to comment any further on anything going on with his family.' Scheffler had Brad Payne, a Tour chaplain and president of College Golf Fellowship, fill in on the bag on Sunday for the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He shot 67 and finished T-3, one stroke shy of a playoff. 'That was definitely a bit more of a surprise for me and Ted,' Scheffler said of Scott's departure on Saturday evening. 'Brad did a great job stepping in, but Brad is a friend, he's not a professional caddie.' Who will be Scottie Scheffler's caddie at the BMW Championship? Scheffler has elected to use Michael Cromie, an All-SEC golfer at University of Georgia and winner of the 2014 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst, as his caddie this week. Cromie works for his former Georgia teammate Chris Kirk, but was available to step in for Scheffler because Kirk finished 51st in the FedEx Cup standings and failed to qualify for the BMW, an event where only the top 50 advance for the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. 'Mike's a great guy,' Scheffler said on Wednesday during his pre-tournament press conference. 'He's just going to try to fill in as best he can this week. Just asking little stuff. A lot of it is just more routine, like, 'Hey, how do you like me to give you the numbers?' When I say I'm hitting a hold shot, he's like, 'Well, what does that mean?' Just little stuff like that that we're figuring out as the week goes on. I'd say most of it is just little stuff like that. He's like, 'Hey, what's your hydration?' When do you like to eat?' Just little stuff like that. I think there's a lot of little stuff that caddies do that go kind of unnoticed throughout a round, and Michael is doing his best to try and figure those things out. I'm trying to also help remember what those things are as well.' Several caddies reached out to the Scheffler camp offering to help the world No. 1 with Scott on the sidelines but Cromie received the Scott seal of approval. 'Ted's good buddies with him. I always liked him. He's a young guy, works hard,' Scheffler said. 'Chris was very nice to let Cromie come work with me this week. He had a good finish to the season. He was a little bit on the outside looking in, but played really good and was close at the end. It was really nice of him to lend his caddie for the week. That was very kind of him.' Scheffler noted that he had to walk off his numbers on Sunday just to double check what Payne came up with and that having a professional caddie by his side will remove some of the stress for him. 'Doing the numbers myself, it's just a bit more work doing that over a four-day event, and that can take a toll on you. It's nice for me to be able to walk up to the ball, see the shot that I can imagine hitting, and then when the numbers come, we start trying to really dial it in,' he explained. 'I think when you have a professional on the bag, it's a bit different, and Michael is someone -- it's not that I don't trust Brad to do the numbers. It was just something that I think both of us probably thought it was a good idea to be double-checking each other.' Scheffler will be in good hands this week but it still marks a significant change and something worth keeping an eye on in regards to how Scheffler handles being without Scott, who has been on the bag for all 17 of his victories since they started working together in late 2021.
USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Countdown to Kickoff: Hero Kanu ready for his chance to shine
Hero Kanu leads a slew of defensive tackle transfers for Texas this year. Kanu is quickly becoming one of the leaders on and off the field. The countdown to kickoff continues and so do the breakdowns of new faces along the defensive line. Hero Kanu, the senior transfer from Ohio State that has really started to turn heads at fall camp. Only totaling 14 tackles during his limited playing time at Ohio State, he is obviously hungry to have a successful senior season and raise his NFL Draft stock dramatically this year. 2024 Stats: 4 tackles, Only playing against Penn St, Indiana, Oregon & Texas 2024 was a very interesting year for Kanu. He was getting similar headlines this time last year in Columbus, but then injured his knee in practice and was down until the Penn State game on November 2nd. From there, Ty Hamilton and Tyliek Williams had locked down the starting jobs, with others rotating in comfortably, so Kanu did not get the playing time he was expected to in fall camp. From there, he jumped in the portal shortly after the season and made his way down to Austin, and it's been all go for him. It seems he is as serious about his craft as they come and will likely be the 'starter' at DT alongside Travis Shaw Week 1 against his former team. This is a player that has been waiting for his moment, and had it taken from him by injury last year. This year, he seems ready to pick up where he left off before he went down. Growing up in Germany, Kanu played soccer much of his childhood, but once he outgrew(physically) soccer, he moved to the United States for high school to explore football. He's still comparatively new to this sport, and seems to finally be fully clicking for him in the last couple of years. He's ready to roll against his former team, and one of his former teammates is getting serious about the extracurriculars. Along with Travis Shaw, Kanu is one of the veterans of the DT room, with Alex January and Maraad Watson still developing. He seems to have taken that seriously and is becoming an important leader for this team. Someone who has had the career, and life that he has had can be super helpful to this team, especially this position group. Texas brought in five transfers on the defensive line this year. This is my personal favorite of the bunch. He was shining, and likely set as a starter a year ago but an injury took that chance away. He's ready for his moment in the sun and he has all the tools to become the next star at DT for the Longhorns. That first game will not be one he needs a hype speech for. He will be ready to roll, and I think this could be one of the more pleasant surprises for Texas this year. Tomorrow, we get into the homegrown Longhorn that is ready for his chance, Alex January. The sophomore from Duncanville brings a very high ceiling and motor to the position, and he, unlike Kanu and Shaw, we get to enjoy for multiple years in burnt orange. Follow us on X/Twitter at @LonghornsWire.
