USC’s 2026 season opener is still 49 days away, but the countdown has already turned to one of the program’s most dominant recent defensive linemen: Tuli Tuipulotu.
The Trojans will open the season on August 29 against San Jose State at the Coliseum, and the second half of the countdown begins with a look back at the former USC All-American who wore No. 49.
Tuipulotu’s USC run stretched from 2020 through 2022, and he made an impact right away. As a true freshman in 2020, he was already part of the Trojans’ defensive line rotation, lining up next to his older brother, Marlon. When Marlon left for the NFL in 2021, Tuipulotu took on a bigger role and delivered, earning first-team All-Pac-12 recognition.
His 2022 season pushed him into a different class entirely. Tuipulotu piled up 13.5 sacks, the most in the country, along with 46 total tackles and two forced fumbles. That production brought a long list of honors: Unanimous All-American, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, the Morris Trophy as the conference’s top lineman, and the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year award.
After that season, Tuipulotu entered the 2023 NFL Draft and was taken by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round. He wasted little time making noise at the next level, landing on the PFWA All-Rookie team in 2023 before following with an 8.5-sack season in 2024.
Last year was his best yet. Tuipulotu finished with 13 sacks and two forced fumbles and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. At just 23 years old, he’s already looking like one of the league’s brightest young defensive stars.
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