2021 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Finalist
2021 Phil Steele All-America Fourth Team
2021 Pac-12 Morris Trophy recipient (defense)
2021 Associated Press Pac-12 All-Conference First Team
Three-time All-Pac-12, earning First Team in 2021.
44 career games with 38 starts.
Finished the 2021 season ranked second among active Pac-12 defensive linemen in career TFL (32.0).
2021: Started at defensive end in all 14 games of the season.
Named to the Ted Hendricks Award Watch List
Led the defensive line with 49 tackles on the year (13.0 TFL), including a league-leading 9.5 sacks, three pass breakups, four QB hurries, once forced fumble and one recovery.
Had four games with five-plus tackles, and at least one TFL in his final six regular season contests.
Logged four tackles, two sacks and a pass breakup in the victory at USC (Oct. 9).
Two-TFL day at Oregon State (Oct. 23) included his second career strip sack.
Had a four-yard sack at Stanford (Nov. 5), while tying his season-high tackles (six).
Guided the defensive line with six more takedowns and a sack in the Arizona win (Nov. 13).
Recorded a 12-yard sack during the win over No. 3 Oregon (Nov. 20).
Concluded the season with one tackle in the Rose Bowl Game vs. No. 6 Ohio State (Jan. 1).
2020: Started all five games.
Pac-12 All-Conference second-team.
Led the defensive line with 14 tackles (3.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks), adding two pass breakups, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Season-high five tackles (1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) against Oregon State.
Two tackles (1.0 sack) and a forced fumble against Washington State.
One tackle and a career-high three QB hurries and two pass breakups against No. 21 Colorado.
2019: Played in all 14 games at right end, starting 13.
Honorable mention All-Pac-12.
47 tackles (8.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks) with two passes defended and four fumble recoveries.
Tied for the FBS lead with four fumble recoveries, which tied for fourth all-time in a season at Utah.
Named Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording five tackles (1.0 TFL) with a 68-yard fumble return for a touchdown (tied for the fourth-longest in school history) against UCLA.
Career-high eight tackles (1.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks) against Texas in the Alamo Bowl.
Recorded a fumble against USC and had four tackles with an assisted TFL.
2018: Played in 11 games with six starts, three at right end and three at left end.
23 total tackles included 7.5 tackles for loss (2.0 sacks) with two pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Five tackles (0.5 TFL) with a forced fumble against Northern Illinois.
Five tackles with a sack against Washington.
Two tackles for a loss (1.0 sack) and a pass breakup against Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game.
Honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic.
2017: Redshirt.
High School: Originally signed with BYU out of Kamehameha HS in 2015 as a four-star recruit by ESPN.
First-team all-state as a senior, also earning 2014 Interscholastic League of Honolulu co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Two-time first-team ILH All Star (2013, 2014) and two-time All-Hawaii, earning first-team honors as a junior.
Also competed in basketball and track, placing seventh in the discus at the 2013 state championships as a sophomore.
Personal: Son of Diane Tafua and the late Lausii Tafua … two sisters … served an LDS church mission in Tacoma, Wash. … enjoys surfing … health society and policy major … name is pronounced me-kuh tah-foo-uh.