Junior Tafuna

UPDATES

Week 0: DNP

HISTORY — from college profile

TAFUNA QUICK HITS

• Three-time Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team (2021 AP; 2022 Coaches; 2023 Coaches and Phil Steele).
• 2021 Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
• 38 games played as a Ute, starting his last 36 appearances. 

2023: Started at defensive tackle in 11 games.

• Credited 17 tackles on the season (3.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks), as well as one forced fumble, one recovery and two PBU.
• Season-high five stops included a TFL at No. 19 Oregon State.
• Forced and recovered a fumble in the game vs. No. 8 Oregon.
• Had three tackles and a sack during the fourth quarter vs. No. 22 UCLA.
• Capped the season with three stops (1.0 TFL, 0.5 sack) and a PBU vs. Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl.
• Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll.

2022: Started all 14 games.

• Contributed 27 tackles (3.5 TFL, 1.0 sack), one interception, two QB hurries and a breakup.
• Season-best six tackles in the Homecoming victory vs. Oregon State.
• Made five more stops in the game at No. 18 UCLA.
• Came up with a sack during the Rose Bowl Game vs. No. 11 Penn State.
• First career interception highlighted a three-tackle day vs. Southern Utah.
• Logged his first pass breakup of the season at No. 12 Oregon.

2021: Saw action in 13 games on the season, starting at left tackle in the final 11 contests.

• Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
• Recorded 33 tackles (5.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) along with a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
• Put up a career-high nine tackles (1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack) against Arizona.
• Had four tackles that included a 12-yard sack against No. 18 Arizona State.
• Recorded three tackles (1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks) against No. 3 Oregon in the regular season, earning Pac-12 Defensive Line Player of the Week.
• Logged four tackles in the second game of his career against San Diego State.
• First career fumble recovery came at Oregon State.
• Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll.

2020: Did not see action. 
 
High School: Three-star recruit out of Bingham HS, rated the No. 7 recruit in the state of Utah.

• Second-team all-state as a senior in 2018.
• Invited to the 2019 Polynesian Bowl.
• 64 tackles (1.0 sack) and an interception as a senior in 2018.
• 74 tackles (1.0 sack) and an interception in 2017.
• Bingham HS won state championships in 2016 and 2017.

Personal: Son of Mau and Timote … has four siblings … served an LDS mission in Praia, Cape Verde … full name Timote (Junior) Maile Tafuna.

2022

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
3.5	2.0	27.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	15.0

interceptions
TD	AVG	YDS	INT
0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0

2021

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
2.0	0.0	0.0

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
5.5	0.0	33.0	0.0	1.0	4.5	22.0