#49

Tuli Tuipulotu

Former defensive lineman at USC. 2022: 13.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, 41 tackles.

DL · USC · Jr. · #49

6′4″ · 290 lb · Hawthorne, CA

CFB Index 98 · #1 of 387 edge rushersLow confidenceConsensus AALos Angeles — drafted 2023, Rd 2, Pick 23, #54 overall

Recruiting

4★

DT recruit

No. 381 nationally · Signed with Lawndale

Statement game5 tackles · 4 TFL · 3 sacksvs Washington State (FBS) · W 30-14

Top 1% tackles for loss game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive lineman at USC. 2022: 13.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, 41 tackles.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Lawndale in 2020.
Drafted round 2 by the Los Angeles in 2023.
Named All-America (AP) in 2022.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at USC, 20 sacks, a Consensus All-American season (2022) — drafted at #54 overall by Los Angeles.

His career

He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.

20204 games

Recruited4-star out of Lawndale

202112 games

The role got bigger.

All-Pac-12First Team

202213 games

All-Americafirst · 11 selectors
All-Pac-12First Team

2023

Drafted by Los Angelesround 2, pick 54

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#381 national

CFB

College

USC

2020–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #54

Los Angeles · 2023

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

12 honors · 2 categories

🏆

ALL-AMERICA · CONSENSUS

Consensus AA (2022)

9 first-team selectors

🥈

ALL-PAC-12 · 1ST TEAM

All-Pac-12 1st team (2022)

Coaching lineage · 2020–2022

3 coaches

2020

Clay Helton

USC

2021

Donte Williams

USC

era →

2022

Lincoln Riley

USC

era →

Played under 3 different head coaches: Clay Helton, Donte Williams, and Lincoln Riley. Multi-era developmental context.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Los AngelesEntering 4th NFL season

#54Rd 2 · Pick 23

Los AngelesEntering 4th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2020USC5-1HC: Clay Helton · Pass-leaning, fast tempo

2021USC4-8HC: Donte Williams · Balanced, fast tempo

2022USC11-3HC: Lincoln Riley · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

98All-America level #1 of 387?

Medium confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: sacks (100th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (100th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Sacks#1 / 2755 · 100th pct

13.5

Tackles for loss#2 / 2755 · 100th pct

21.0

Passes defended#492 / 2755 · 78th pct

QB hurries#511 / 2755 · 76th pct

Solo tackles#645 / 2755 · 76th pct

Tackles#802 / 2755 · 70th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2022 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home8g	2.9	1.8	1.6	0.1
Road5g	3.6	1.3	0.2	0.4

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-78g	2.9	1.7	1.0	0.2
Weeks 8+5g	3.6	1.5	1.1	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Lincoln Riley

Pass share

46.0%

97 pass / 114 run

Plays / game

70.3

3 games

Team sack rate

2.0%

102 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Run-leaning.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

Consensus All-American

First team on a majority of the recognized selector lists.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

98 · #1 of 387 edge rushers

Former four-star. Now #1 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2022

AP—

FWAA1st

AFCA1st

WCFF1st

SN1st

SI—

Named Consensus All-American — recognized on 3+ of the 5 NCAA-recognized selector lists.

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	USC	41	27	21.0	13.5	3	--	--
2021	USC	48	24	7.5	5.5	2	--	--
2020	USC	19	10	1.5	1.0	--	--	--
Career		108	61	30.0	20.0	5	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 12 · 2022

W 48–45

at UCLA

1 TFL · 2 SOLO · 6 TOT

Edged out UCLA on the road in a shootout.

With C. Williams — 470 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · QBR 87.3 · 33 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · A. Jones — 120 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 66-14vs Rice	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	W 41-28@ Stanford	6	5	4.0	1.0	—	1	Season-high 6 tackles
Wk 3	W 45-17vs Fresno State	4	4	2.0	2.0	—	0	2 sacks
Wk 4	W 17-14@ Oregon State	2	1	1.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 5	W 42-25vs Arizona State	3	2	1.5	1.0	—	0
Wk 6	W 30-14vs Washington State	5	4	4.0	3.0	—	0	3 sacks
Wk 7	L 42-43@ Utah	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	W 45-37@ Arizona	3	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 41-35vs California	4	3	2.5	2.0	—	0	2 sacks
Wk 11	W 55-17vs Colorado	3	2	2.5	2.5	—	1	2.5 sacks
Wk 12	W 48-45@ UCLA	6	2	1.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 38-27vs Notre Dame	2	1	1.0	1.0	—	0
Bowl	L 45-46vs Tulane	1	1	1.0	1.0	—	0
Total		41	27	21.0	13.5	—	3

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology