Popo Aumavae Poised for a Breakout Year in 2021

Cristobal says the Ducks need him to be a big time player this season.

Popo Aumavae has had his fair share of ups and downs since he arrived in Eugene as a member of the class of 2017. But he and Head Coach Mario Cristobal believe 2021 is the beginning of a great run for him, seeing that he's in the best shape he’s been in yet.

Aumavae lost 20 pounds last season when he had to quarantine due to contact tracing. As a result, he missed the Ducks' first two games of the season vs. Stanford and Washington State. 

But now, Cristobal says he’s back at the ideal weight and is ready to go this season.

“If he lost [the weight], he found it pretty quick. I didn't see it missing on him. He’s 300 pounds plus. Popo though, he’s a powerful guy. He’ll probably end up landing at about the 305/307 [lbs.] mark,” Cristobal said. 

“All these guys, they’re like a prize fighter, a heavyweight fighter. Every fighter has an optimal weight at which they play best at, and those big guys, three to four pounds does make a difference. I think he feels really strong again; he feels like he's in really good shape. He can really close on quarterbacks, close on ball carriers."

Aumavae has been battling to get his body right since he was a freshman.

"When he got here, we actually had a couple procedures to get him physically ready to play. Every year he’s gotten better and better and better, and we feel like he’s on the cusp of having a big time year.”

Cristobal clearly seems to believe this is going to be a massive season for Aumavae, as he's being given a clear opportunity to slide next to Brandon Dorlus in a starting role.

"I’m gonna personally push him as hard as humanly possible because he deserves that and to me, that’s the ultimate form of respect.” Cristobal added, “Our team needs him to be a big-time player, and he has those capabilities and he’s flashed it before. I wanna see it consistently, and he’s done a great job this offseason and we expect him to do a great job this year.”

Aumavae, still only a junior, will be one of the top players to watch as this season approaches. New Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter will have some options to build out his defensive line, and Aumavae plans to be at the top of his list of suitors.

More from Ducks Digest

Cristobal announces suspensions for two Oregon players

Practice report: fall camp begins

Jay Butterfield opens up on quarterback room in 2021

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