Biography
CAREER: He has 70 tackles, including 10 for losses (with 7.5 sacks), 2 deflections, a fumble recovery for a TD and 2 forced fumbles in his career while appearing in 18 games, with 15 starts.
2022: Tuipulotu, a force to be reckoned with in the trenches, returns as a starter on the Trojan defensive line as a junior in 2022.
2021: Tuipulotu proved to be one of the nation’s top young defensive linemen as a sophomore starter in 2021. Overall in 2021 while starting all 12 games, he had 48 tackles, including 7.5 for losses of 42 yards (with a team-high 5.5 sacks for 39 yards), plus 2 deflections, 1 fumble recovery for a TD and 2 forced fumbles. He made the 2021 All-Pac-12 first team, Phil Steele All-Pac-12 first team and Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 third team. He won USC’s 2021 Defensive Lineman of the Year Award and Bob Chandler Award.
He had 3 tackles against San Jose State, then led USC with 7 tackles (0.5 for loss) against Stanford. He had 4 tackles and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown at Washington State. He had 7 tackles against Oregon State, then had 3 tackles, including 2 for a loss (with a sack), and forced a fumble that USC recovered at Colorado. He had 3 tackles (0.5 sacks) and a deflection against Utah and 2 tackles at Notre Dame. Both of his tackles against Arizona were sacks. He had 4 tackles (0.5 for loss) and forced a fumble that USC recovered at Arizona State. He had 4 tackles (with a sack) against UCLA, 3 tackles and a deflection against BYU and 6 tackles with a sack at California.
2020: Tuipulotu had an impressive debut as a first-year freshman defensive lineman in 2020. Overall while appearing in all 6 games and starting 3 times (Utah, UCLA, Oregon), he had 22 tackles, including 2.5 for losses of 16 yards, with 2 sacks for minus 15 yards. He made the 2020 The Athletic Freshman All-American second team and Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 honorable mention.
He had 5 tackles at Arizona, 3 tackles with a sack at Utah, 3 tackles against Washington State, 9 tackles (including 1.5 for losses, with a sack) at UCLA and 2 tackles against Oregon.
HIGH SCHOOL: He made 2019 Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team, All-CIF Division 3 and South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team as a senior defensive end at Lawndale (Calif.) High.
As a 2018 junior, he made All-CIF Division 5 and South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team as he had 95 tackles, including 24 for losses (with 9 sacks), plus 2 deflections and a forced fumble on defense and had a 20-yard reception on offense.
He had 49 tackles, including 12 for losses (with a sack), plus 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery as a 2017 sophomore.
PERSONAL: He is a communication major at USC. His brother, Marlon, was a defensive lineman at USC (2017-20), earning All-Pac-12 first team in 2020, and now is with the Philadelphia Eagles. His cousins are former USC (2018-20) safety Talanoa Hufanga, the 2020 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year now with the San Francisco 49ers, and former USC (2005-08) defensive tackle Fili Moala, who played in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts (2009-14).
