Recruit left Oregon game over anti-Mormon chants

A group of Oregon students made the school look bad on Saturday with an inappropriate chant, and they also drove at least one prospective Ducks player out of the stadium.

T.C. Manumaleuna, a class of 2024 quarterback recruit from North Salem, Ore., attended Oregon’s game against BYU with his family. He told Andrew Nemec of SBLive.com on Monday that he and his family left at halftime after they were bothered by the “f— the Mormons” chants from the Oregon student section. Manumaleuna and his family are members of the Mormon church.

“We were up where all of the students were sitting. We were right next to the student section,” Manumaleuna told Nemec. “At first they weren’t (saying) harmful chants, but they got to ‘Eff the Mormons.’ At that time, just hearing that … it was kind of weird for me. It kind of hurt. My dad said let’s just go right after. After hearing those chants we decided to leave.”

Manumaleuna, who was offered a scholarship to Oregon before he was even a freshman in high school, said the experience will not impact his feelings toward the Ducks program. He said he has a close relationship with the coaching staff and that Oregon is his favorite team and the reason he began playing football.

That said, BYU is also on Manumaleuna’s list. He called the Cougars “one of my biggest recruits” and said he is planning to attend a game there this season as well.

The official Twitter account for Oregon’s student section apologized for the profane chants. The university also issued a statement condemning the behavior.

Manumaleuna is also considering Cal, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Mississippi State and Washington State.