Defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa will return to Washington for 2023 season

SEATTLE — A lot as he occupies blockers and fights for positioning within the trenches with little fanfare, Tuli Letuligasenoa merely was going about his enterprise Saturday afternoon, strolling to the locker room after observe when a staffer reminded the Washington defensive lineman he had been requested for media interviews.

Good factor. Seems he had one thing to say.

Letuligasenoa, a fifth-year defensive sort out and one of many Huskies’ most underrated — and most essential — defensive gamers, mentioned in his typical quiet, understated means that he plans to return to highschool for his closing 12 months of eligibility in 2023.

“It’s wanting like more than likely I’m going to return again,” he mentioned, earlier than including: “Particularly with Massive Mike (Penix) making that announcement, (I’m) for certain coming again.”

Letuligasenoa wasn’t essentially considered as an early-round NFL Draft choose, however anyone who performs his place — and has been in faculty for 5 years — has trigger to think about turning professional. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 307 kilos, Letuligasenoa has began all however two video games the previous two seasons, a constant presence on an in any other case inexperienced defensive position. His place isn’t one for main statistical manufacturing — he made 30 tackles and 4.5 TFLs this 12 months, with 36 tackles and 6.5 TFLs in 2021 — however is crucial for disrupting the opponent’s working recreation and creating havoc on the line of scrimmage.

Professional Soccer Focus has Letuligasenoa because the Huskies’ third-highest-graded run defender and the best amongst beginning D-linemen or linebackers.

“I simply really feel like that’s what’s greatest for me, at this level in my profession proper now,” he mentioned.

He added: “I had some talks with some coaches over right here. They mainly simply broke it right down to me, and simply got here up with that plan. I really feel like that’s the perfect factor for me.”

The one actual hangup, Letuligasenoa mentioned, was the prospect of attending faculty for six years, although he’s set to graduate on the finish of the present tutorial quarter.

“That’s in all probability the one factor that I used to be like, ‘Man, six years right here, I don’t find out about that,’” he mentioned. “However it’s what it’s. Like I mentioned, it’s in all probability the perfect plan for me.”

Whereas Penix’s resolution to return for his closing 12 months of eligibility was “probably not” a major consider Letuligasenoa’s resolution, he mentioned “it positively helped,” and despatched a message to the remainder of the staff.

“It mainly simply gave the entire staff that religion on doubling down and coming again,” Letuligasenoa mentioned.

Others stay undecided, however say Penix’s return is one thing to think about. Bralen Trice, for instance, could be Washington’s high defensive NFL Draft prospect after ending this season with eight sacks and incomes second-team All-Pac-12 honors. Trice, a fourth-year sophomore, mentioned Saturday that he’s attempting to give attention to the Alamo Bowl in opposition to Texas for now, however that he’s additionally having conversations along with his household concerning the NFL and looking for enter from scouts, coaches and the NFL’s faculty advisory committee.

“It’s for certain an element. It’s positively a giant issue for lots of men on our staff,” Trice mentioned. “Y’all see what we did with Mike on our staff. I’m not saying he’s the primary consider what we did this season, however I’m saying he’s positively one of many key gamers on our staff, and is a giant decision-maker for lots of men on our staff. So we’ll see what occurs.”

Like Trice, fellow edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui is also weighing his professional future and says he’s doing so at the side of his teammate. That Tupuola-Fetui would even take into account a return for his closing 12 months of eligibility would have come as a shock to anybody who spoke with him again in August, when it appeared a foregone conclusion that this may be his closing 12 months. Trice’s emergence, although, meant fewer snaps for ZTF than may need been anticipated. He had 4.5 sacks taking part in largely as a pass-rush specialist — not insignificant, however not on the stage of his four-game, seven-sack season in 2020 that put him on NFL Draft boards all over the place. A torn Achilles in spring 2021 additionally restricted him to 5 video games final season.

“You ever heard the saying, ‘You inform God your plans, and he simply laughs?’” Tupuola-Fetui mentioned Saturday. “If I had it my means, in an ideal world, I’d have the sack file or one thing, and this may be my final 12 months. However it simply didn’t work out that means. I had a unique position to play this 12 months. Not that I used to be sad with it — I beloved taking part in this 12 months with my teammates in that position, and I used to be in a position to step up a pair instances and begin, as nicely.”

Even when Trice returns, ZTF might step into the beginning edge position vacated by senior Jeremiah Martin, a first-team all-conference choose this 12 months.

“It’s a tough resolution to make,” Tupuola-Fetui mentioned. “I prefer it right here, and we’ve a very good factor going right here, so it might be onerous to go away. So we’ll see how the method goes.”

With Penix’s return already introduced, the Huskies are also ready on selections from 1,000-yard receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan, in addition to second-team all-conference left sort out Troy Fautanu, although Odunze is taken into account the more than likely of that trio to show professional. He mentioned throughout a Tuesday interview with KJR 93.3 FM that he wish to decide inside per week or so.

(Picture: Steph Chambers / Getty Photos)