How to watch: Sat, 11/22 , 3:30 PM/EST – CBS
Oregon’s late-season date with USC carries playoff implications for both programs, but for NFL watchers Week 13 is also a crucial measuring stick for two front-seven prospects who’ve quietly climbed draft boards. The Ducks’ front is built on a complementary pair: Matayo Uiagalelei, the long, athletic EDGE presence who has emerged as a consistent playmaker in Oregon’s scheme, and A’Mauri Washington, the beefy interior disruptor whose tape shows power and suddenness
when he slants into gaps. How those two handle USC’s offensive line and run schemes this weekend will tell scouts more about their ceiling against Power Five competition than any stat line alone.
Uiagalelei remains the more versatile of the two a 6’5”, 272 lb EDGE type who pairs length with surprising sideline to sideline range and a growing pass rush package. He’s consistently shown the ability to set the edge in run defense while timing blitzes and stunts to create pressure, turning in production this season that has included TFLs and multiple sacks while earning solid grades from analytic shops. Against USC, his assignment discipline, pursuit angles and ability to translate pass rush moves off the edge into interior pressure will be the things scouts watch most closely. If he performs well here and it might cement himself as a Day 2 candidate who can be a solid force on the EDGE.
Washington, by contrast, projects as a three tech/NT tweener for 2026 draft boards the kind of 330 ish pound anchor who wins with power at the point of attack, violent hands, and an improving first step on slants and counter moves. Evaluations this fall have flagged his strength to hold gaps and his ability to generate penetration on handfuls of snaps, traits that show up in both PFF grades and scouting reports that now list him among Oregon’s top pro prospects. If Washington can consistently command double teams and disrupt USC’s interior running lanes, he’ll not only help the Ducks control the line of scrimmage Saturday but also push his draft grade upward turning a Week 13 spotlight into a full-blown pre Combine narrative for evaluators hunting for stout, NFL 232ready interior defenders.
