Tag: Mase Funa

Oregon OLB Mase Funa accepts mini-camp invite with New York Giants

Mase Funa is headed to the BLANK after signing as a UDFA.

Former Oregon Ducks linebacker Mase Funa did not hear his name called at the 2024 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean his NFL dreams can’t still come to fruition. On Sunday, one day after the end of the 2024 draft, Funa accepted a mini-camp invite with the New York Giants, according to a report from MLFootball.

Mini-camps are great opportunities for players who aren’t selected in the NFL draft to further their hopes at a pro career, but Funa is still a few steps away from earning himself a contract and making a 90-man roster going into training camp. If Funa can make the Giants’ roster, he’ll reunite with his former pass-rushing partner Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Funa played five seasons at Oregon, coming to the Ducks in the class of 2019. Funa was a 4-star recruit and the No. 96 overall player in his class according to 247Sports.

In his career, at Oregon, Funa played in a lot of different roles, especially after switching coaches from Mario Cristobal to Dan Lanning. In total, Funa tallied 140 tackles, 19 TFLs, seven sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception, in his five-year career.

That singular interception was the highlight of Funa’s Oregon career. In 2022 against the Washington State Cougars, the Ducks took the lead 37-34 after being down by 12 points to start the fourth quarter. The Cougars still had a minute of clock to work with, but on the second play of the drive, Funa picked off Cam Ward and took it to the house to secure victory for Oregon.

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Oregon linebacker Mase Funa announces he will return for 2023

After being named the Defensive Player of the Game of the Holiday Bowl, Oregon linebacker Mase Funa says he’s returning for 2023.

As if this night couldn’t get any better for the Oregon Ducks football program.

After a stunning 28-27 Holiday Bowl win over North Carolina, the game’s Defensive Player of the Game, Oregon linebacker Mase Funa announced he is going to return to the Ducks for his senior season in 2023.

This couldn’t be better news for the Ducks as the linebackers might have been a bit thin next season with Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe leaving the program for various reasons.

Funa finished the season with 32 tackles, 3.5 for loss, two sacks, and an interception. In the bowl game, he had seven tackles, two for loss, and a sack in the win in San Diego.

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Five Ducks named to the Polynesian player of the year award watch list

Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell headlines a group of five Ducks to be named to the Polynesian Player of the Year award watch list.

Oregon has had a long history of having great Polynesian players in the football program and that hasn’t changed.

Five current football players have been named to the watch list for the 2022 Polynesian Player of the Year award. Marcus Mariota took home the first award in 2014 and Penei Sewell also won it in 2019.

Defensive tackle Popo Aumavae, offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, linebackers Noah Sewell and Mase Funa as well as defensive lineman Taki Taimani have all been named to the watch list.

Sewell is definitely one of the favorites to win the award if he has the kind of year the Ducks are expecting the junior to have. If Sewell is to win the award, it would mark the first time in the award’s short history that players of the same family have been recipients.

The winner will be announced after the regular season is finished in December.

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Mario Cristobal says Kayvon Thibodeaux likely to play full game vs. Stanford

Mario Cristobal announced there is not expected to be a pitch count on Kayvon Thibodeaux coming this Saturday against Stanford.

No pitch count.

That’s how Oregon Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal described the availability of defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux for the Stanford game on Saturday.

Thibodeaux was limited to 15-20 plays last week against Arizona and those were used up in the first half as he didn’t play at all in the second half.

That plan has now been tossed out the window. Thibodeaux’s sprained ankle should be healthy enough for him to compete for the full four quarters down on The Farm.

If there’s a week for Thibodeaux to become healthy once again, this would be it. While the Cardinal’s running game isn’t spectacular yet, Stanford always has the capability of smashing the ball down a defense’s throat with their big offensive line.

Other than Thibodeaux, the Ducks are as healthy as they have been since Week 1. Cristobal said linebacker Mase Funa has a clean bill of health and fellow linebacker Keith Brown is also 100 percent to go.

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Injury Report: Oregon expected to have Anthony Brown vs. Arizona; Kayvon Thibodeaux still day-to-day

Mario Cristobal said Anthony Brown is likely to play against Arizona, while Kayvon Thibodeaux is still considered day-to-day.

In head coach Mario Cristobal’s weekly injury report, he said that he feels really good as to where quarterback Anthony Brown is in his recovery and should be available for the conference opener against Arizona on Saturday.

Brown was knocked out of the game last week towards the end of the first half and he did not return. Although true freshman Ty Thompson played well, the Ducks don’t want to throw in into action in the middle of the Pac-12 season if they don’t have to.

Despite going 3-0, the injury bug has definitely been a problem. Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has only played a quarter as he missed the majority of the season with a sprained ankle. Cristobal said that Thibodeaux is still day-to-day.

Linebackers Mase Funa and Keith Brown are healing nicely and both should be available against the Wildcats to help out the depth situation at that position. Both of those players could have played in the Stony Brook game in an emergency situation, but were held out to get an extra time of rest.

Offensive lineman Steven Jones was also injured against the Seawolves, but he should be back into the rotation this week.

The only player that Cristobal considers “doubtful” is defensive end Bradyn Swinson, who was banged up during the Ohio State win. He didn’t play at all against Stony Brook and it sounds like he will be out for a bit longer than the others.

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Report: Linebacker Justin Flowe is out for the rest of the regular season

Fox Sports reporter Bruce Feldman says Oregon linebacker Justin Flowe will be out for the regular season.

The injury news on the defensive side of things just keeps getting worse for the Oregon Ducks.

Head coach Mario Cristobal announced Monday in his weekly press conference that that star freshman linebacker Justin Flowe sustained a significant foot injury and now Fox Sports writer Bruce Feldman reports Flowe will indeed miss the rest of the regular season.

To say this is a huge blow for the Ducks is an understatement. Flowe had an incredible debut in Week 1 with 14 tackles against Fresno State that earned him Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors.

With Flowe out, linebackers Noah Sewell and Mase Funa will have to carry the load at the linebacker spot as well as Adrian Jackson and Keith Brown. All four linebackers had great games in the 35-28 upset at Ohio State, so all is definitely not lost.

Oregon is also expecting to get Kayvon Thibodeaux back on the field soon, but with the next opponent being FCS Stony Brook, don’t expect the star defensive end playing until Arizona comes calling Sept. 25.

 

Entering third year, Mase Funa is ready to take the next step

Oregon Ducks linebacker Mase Funa is emerging as both an edge setter and pass rusher at the strong side linebacker spot entering 2021.

Entering his third season in an Oregon Ducks uniform, strongside linebacker Mase Funa looks like a player ready to take yet another leap forward under first year defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter.

That’s no easy task, as the former four-star recruit was a freshman all-american second teamer back in 2019, recording 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He was excellent in the shortened 2020 season as well, and is now poised to star alongside Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe in what could be among the best groups of linebackers in college football.

“Mase came in really good shape,” coach Mario Cristobal commented after Oregon’s scrimmage on Saturday. “You know, he’s always been a great striker, and it’s showing up really well [when] he sets edges. Like very few people do, you can get hands-on tight ends and can take on double teams of tackles, tight ends, and tight ends and wings, set edges, turn around back.”

Funa’s big role in this defense will be forcing opposing playmakers to stay inside by setting the outside edge, which will allow Oregon’s defensive linemen, as well as Sewell and Flowe, to make plays at the line of scrimmage.

If Funa is able to consistently set the edge it will be a successful campaign, but he’s also demonstrated plenty of skill as a pass rusher – particularly during camp this year – which could be a sign he’ll be back to being a dominant edge rusher after not recording any sacks in 2020.

“He’s also slippery in the pass game as well,” Cristobal continued. “[He’s] got a great power rush [which] was really developed to speed explosiveness. He’s had a great camp so far. So as always just a great human being has done a great job with our principles and values in our culture.”

DeRuyter’s defensive scheme prioritizes excellent play from the linebackers, and this year’s group at Oregon should mesh extremely well with what he wants to get done – and that’s very, very bad news for the rest of the Pac-12.

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Four Ducks are on the Polynesian Player of the Year watch list

Popo Aumavae, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Mase Funa, and Noah Sewell are all on the watch list for the 2021 Polynesian Player of the Year.

Marcus Mariota and Penei Sewell may have to move over.

Four Oregon football players, Popo Aumavae, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Mase Funa, and Noah Sewell have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2021 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced on Thursday.

The 2021 list is composed of 63 players from 31 different FBS schools. Oregon is one of six schools with at least four players on the watch list.

Oregon has a rich history with the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. Mariota, who also won the Heisman Trophy, was the inaugural recipient in 2014. Offensive lineman Penei Sewell took home the honor in 2019. Oregon is the only program to have had multiple players win the award as the Ducks are looking to make it three.

Five finalists will be unveiled on Nov. 30 with the winner being announced Dec. 14. The presentation of the award will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Celebration Dinner Jan. 21, 2022 and they will also be recognized at halftime of the Polynesian Bowl the very next day.

Among the four Ducks named, it’s likely Noah Sewell has the best chance to claim the award. The super freshman linebacker was the 2020 Coaches Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and was one of two true freshmen and the only among the Power 5 conferences to lead his team in tackles (45) in 2020.

The other three Ducks, Aumavae, Aumavae-Laulu, and Funa will all play major roles in defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s defense and are all expected to have great seasons.