At Sun Down, Voi Tunuufi Puts a Wrap On an Old School Husky Career

The defender didn't redshirt, sit out more than once or consider transferring.

Voi Tunuufi provides a pass rush at Penn State. / Skylar Lin Visuals

EL PASO, Texas -- Voi Tunuufi has no college football freebies, allowances, provisions or do-overs.

Once the Sun Bowl against Louisville comes and goes on New Year's Eve in this border town, the 6-foot-1, 282-pound University of Washington starting edge rusher from Salt Lake City is done with the Huskies.

He's that rare guy who didn't redshirt, transfer, need surgery or miss much time at all after pulling on a UW football uniform.

While departing teammate Justin Harrington will attempt to play an eighth season of college ball as a safety somewhere else next year, Tunuufi will wrap everything up in four uninterrupted seasons with the Huskies that went by really fast and move on.

With players everywhere attempting to extend their college experiences much like regular graduate students pursuing Masters degrees, Tunuufi will check out of the UW in an old-school 48 months.

"it's a grand opportunity to be here," Tunuufi said. "I cherish every moment. To go out there one more time with my boys means the world to me."

He's the only one in this particular express lane with the Huskies alone, though teammates in defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez and tight end Keleki Latu likewise likewise are streamlined, four-year college players, yet they switched schools along the way, with Latu doing it twice.

Tunuufi simply showed up ready to play right away for Jimmy Lake's football team, appearing in 11 of 12 games during his freshman season in 2021, and started twice, with his first game-opening assignment coming in a 21-16 victory over Arizona in Tucson against his current Husky coach, Jedd Fisch.

He missed only a 31-24 overtime win over California that season while dealing with his only injury of consequence, which wasn't spelled out.

Otherwise, this good-natured, always dependable Tunuufi has showed up ready to go. On Tuesday, he's prepared to play in his 52nd Husky game, and 48th consecutive, when he takes the field in the Sun Bowl.

Voi Tunuufi helps UW quarterback Demond Williams Jr. get to his feet at Oregon. / Skylar Lin Visuals

All of his UW coaches have been drawn to him because, while a bit undersized, he's always showed himself to be a playmaker, physical and quick, capable of making something happen and never a complainer. He's been undeterred whether he's been used as a starter or a reserve player, unconcerned whether he's an edge rusher or a defensive tackle.

He's been a 10-game starter this season because Zach Durfee couldn't stay healthy, if not duly rewarded for simply being so efficient and reliable.

As his career winds down, Tunuufi has 85 career tackles, which include 15.5 tackles for loss and an amazing 12.5 sacks -- the latter a remarkable number, considering he's only started a dozen games in his Husky career.

He's the guy who pulled down quarterback Caleb Williams with a fourth-quarter sack a year ago, to help preserve a 52-42 victory over USC in Los Angeles.

He's the truly versatile one who showed up on the second play of this season's Michigan game on offense as a lead blocker and opened a hole for Jonah Coleman's 10-yard run.

Tunuufi finished that outing against the Wolverines with a fourth-quarter forced fumble, stripping the ball from quarterback Jack Tuggle in a tie game, with the Huskies turning that miscue into go-ahead points five plays later in the 27-17 win.

Voi Tunuufi soaks up the Sugar Bowl and CFP semifinal game played against Texas at the Superdome in New Orleans. / Skylar Lin Visuals

If the Huskies needed him to run the ball, he could do that, too. In high school in Utah, he ran or chugged 70 yards to score with a fumble return.

Playing for three UW coaches, and dealing with the responsibility of playing multiple positions, Tunuufi could have grown impatient with his college football process and left for another school. Yet he's been content to stick with the Huskies, with just one more outing remaining.

"I wouldn't change it for the world," he said. "I had the opportunity to stay here all four years. I had a decision to make every single year, at the end of every one of those four years. I ended up staying here because it's where I live."

Yet compared to his teammates, it wasn't such a long stay at all.

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