Tuputala Is Hard Man to Pin Down -- Except As Leader of the Huskies

The linebacker plays all over the field on his nationally ranked defense.

Alphonzo Tuputala lines up on the edge in the Apple Cup. / Skylar Lin Visuals

At Husky Stadium last weekend, the Michigan football team never knew what was coming next from Washington.

Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. lined up as a wide receiver. Edge rusher Voi Tunuufi took a turn as a fullback. Offensive guard Zach Henning continued to double as a blocking tight end.

Then there was Alphonzo Tuputala, the only returning starter for the Huskies, on offense or defense, from the CFP national championship game. He proved to be the only UW player outwardly recognizable to the Big Ten team from Houston nine months earlier.

Except that Tuputala was hard to pin down this past weekend by those visiting Wolverines when it came to determining his actual defensive responsibility. With the way the UW moved the sixth-year senior around in its 27-17 victory, he might as well have been holding down all 11 spots on defense.

"We have him playing multiple positions in our scheme," UW coach Jedd Fisch said. "You see him playing the edge. You see him at stack linebacker. You see him blitzing, covering and dropping."

As the Huskies (4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) prepare to face Iowa (3-2, 2-1) on the road this weekend, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Tuputala is their lone constant, their bedrock player, someone who's knows and accepts his multi-purpose role for this rebuilt team.

For all of those reasons, Fisch's coaching staff chose Tuputala as "Dawg of the Week," which is sort of a new team service award doled out in-house to players simply for doing things right.

Tuputala, who's started 33 of the past 34 UW games over three seasons and appeared in 46 outings overall, currently ranks second on the team in tackles with 30, six fewer than fellow linebacker Carson Bruener.

"He's extremely tough," Fisch said.

Alphonzo Tuputala mixes it up with a WSU offensive lineman in the Apple Cup. / Skylar Lin Visuals

As a team captain, Tuputala takes it upon himself to address the team before each game and the defense before each series.

Even with his well-worn football body, he doesn't take practices off, setting an example for everyone around him.

"He's the voice of the program," Fisch said.

Alphonzo Tuputala, far left, arrives with coach Jedd Fisch and his Husky teammates on game day. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Tuputala is one reason the defense, even with the near complete lineup turnover, is stingier than before, currently ranking among the nation's top 10 in total defense, scoring defense, red-zone defense and passing yards.

Just don't ask him about his 76-yard interception return last season against Arizona State, which isn't listed among his personal highlights on his online Husky bio because it should have been a 77-yard touchdown runback, cut short because he inadvertently dropped the ball on the 1.

Well, not everyone is perfect, though Tuputala is making a good run at it this season.

"Just a ton of respect for him," Fisch said.

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