Oregon Defensive Tackle Popo Aumavae to Miss 2022 Season With Foot Injury

Oregon's defense will be without one of their top contributors in the trenches this season.

Oregon Ducks defensive tackle Popo Aumavae will miss the 2022 season, head coach Dan Lanning said Monday evening.

"Unfortunately, it looks like he's gonna be--I hate it for him--had a foot injury, it looks like he's gonna be out for the season. That's a big loss for us," Lanning said. "He's gonna be getting surgery. Hate to lose him because he's worked so hard to get back from injury."

Aumavae, a 6-foot-3, 304-pound defensive tackle from Stockton, Calif., has been a central piece of Oregon's defensive line for years. He missed the end of last season with an injury and had been working on recovering this offseason and wasn't available in the spring. Signing with the school as a member of its 2017 class, Aumavae redshirted as a freshman and continued to make strides with each season that he played. 

READ MORE: Torres' Take-What's next for Oregon after losing to Georgia?

Even though the Ducks will be without one of their top players on the field, Lanning still believes Aumavae can help his team this season.

"That being said, we're still looking to lean on his leadership and those pieces," the head coach told reporters.

Popo Aumavae applies pressure on Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Jake Haener during a game at Autzen Stadium in September 2021 / © Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Aumavae had cemented himself as one of the best defensive linemen the Pac-12 had to offer, earning AP all-conference first-team honors in 2021.

This year's defensive line was already slated to be one of the deepest Oregon has seen in recent years. With Aumavae unable to go against the Bulldogs we saw a lot of pieces rotating throughout the game. 

Nebraska transfers Jordon Riley and Casey Rogers saw ample snaps in their debuts as Ducks under Tony Tuioti--who coached the Huskers last season. The Ducks also brought in Washington transfer Sam 'Taki' Taimani to beef up the trenches this offseason. Keyon Ware-Hudson and Brandon Dorlus both returned from injuries that kept them out of spring practice like Aumavae. 

Aumavae's injury could also open the door for younger players like Keanu Williams, Jake Shipley, Sir Mells and Ben Roberts to get playing time this season. 

The Ducks face the Eastern Washington Eagles in their home opener at Autzen Stadium on Saturday at 5:30 pm PT.

WATCH: Dan Lanning gives final review of Georgia as team turns page to Eastern Washington

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