USC Football: Trojan-Turned-NFL Rookie Surprised Teammates With Instant Impact

The USC Trojans have produced a ton of talent as of late that has gone on to the NFL and succeeded. The 2023 class out of USC is no exception, and it's led by the former Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Los Angeles Chargers rookie linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu. 

Tuipulotu spent three seasons as a Trojan from 2020-2022, and there was no question he was ready for the next level after his junior year. He played phenomenally for the Cardinal Red and Gold and is doing the same with the Powder Blue, only a few miles away from the USC campus. 

Tuli is making his presence known, and although the Chargers didn't have the best of seasons, that doesn't account for the 21-year-old. A handful of Charger players were impressed with how Tuli came out and impacted the team, like the Bolts right tackle Trey Pipkins III. 

“You knew he was going to be good. You just figured it would take a year or two. When he started doing things in the regular season, it was, ‘Well, I guess he didn’t need a year or two.’ ”

^{(Per Trey Pipkins III via LA Times)}

Through 16 games of the 2023 season, Tuipulotu has put up some great numbers for a youngster. He's recorded 48 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 11 QB hits, two forced fumbles, one pass defended, and 4.5 sacks. 

Tuli has wreaked havoc for opposing teams all season long, but offensive linemen like Pipkins know what Tuli brings day in and day out. He's even made a mark on the Chargers left tackle and Pro Bowler Rashawn Slater. 

“It was a lot more than I expected,” Slater said. “Pretty much right there I was like, ‘OK, you gotta bring it with this kid or you’re in trouble.’ ”

^{(per Rashawn Slater via LA Times)}

Tuli is here to stay, and we cannot wait to see how he grows and improves at the pro level.