Utes on the rise: Defensive Tackle Junior Tafuna
With the 2021 Utah Football season now fully in the rearview mirror and spring ball just around the corner, it's time to reflect and review on the notable performances from the season. While players like Cameron Rising, Tavion Thomas, Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell made most of the big plays and helped lead the team to their first ever Pac-12 Championship, there were a handful of younger players who made notable contributions and are certainly players on the rise.
The following is a recap and analysis of freshman left tackle Junior Tafuna, his 2021 contributions, and what potential may lie in store.
A three-star commit from Bingham High School, Tafuna was an absolute force to be reckoned with before coming to Utah. For the Miners, he recorded 64 tackles as a senior, was invited to the 2019 senior bowl and was second-team all-state in 2018. After serving an LDS mission, Tafuna made his debut for the Utes this last year and terrorized opposing offenses.
After being inserted into the starting lineup early on due to some injuries, Tafuna looked like a natural from the beginning and consistently created havoc. Right from the start, Tafuna demonstrated his impressive physical abilities with a punishing seven yard sack against Washington State quarterback Jarrett Guarantano. In what was a very closely contested game, Tafuna’s hustle paid off as he derailed a promising early drive for the Cougars and just a few plays later they settled for a field goal.
Over the course of the year, Tafuna finished with 33 total tackles for 10th most on the team. From those tackles he strung together notable performances that included four stops against No. 18 ASU, one of which was a critical 12 yard sack. He also recorded a career-high nine tackles against Arizona, the most by a Utah defensive lineman since 2018 and made two notable stops against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship.
For his efforts, Tafuna was the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the Associated Press Pac-12 All-Conference Second team.
It didn’t take much time for Tafuna to acclimate to the college game after his number was called on early in the season. Rather than appear lost or unprepared, Tafuna accepted the responsibility in stride and looked like a natural as a consistent and reliable member of the defense. Game after game, Tafuna brought the heat which not only derailed opposing offensive drives but also earned him the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year Award.
As for the future, Tafuna should continue to remain a starter on the front line as his hustle and physicality are tough to replicate. Alongside his teammate and fellow classmate Van Fillinger, the two present a formidable one-two punch and very well could be co-mayors of Sack Lake City for the next few seasons.
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