Junior Tafuna, Utah Football News: Draft Scout Player News

2023 CFB/2024-2027 Draft Scout

- Draft Scout Front Page - 2024 NFL Draft Tracker/Results - 2024 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2024 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - 2024 Pro Timing Day Fallers by Position - 2024 NFL Combine - Josh Buchanan's 2024 Top 100 Small School Prospects - End of Season Risers - End of Season Fallers - 2024 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2024 Senior Bowl - 2024 East-West Shrine - 2024 Hula Bowl - 2024 HBCU Legacy Bowl - 2023 CFB Bowl Games/Playoffs - CFB Player News & Notes 12/03 Final CFB Playoff Top 12
- #1 Michigan - #2 Washington - #3 Texas - #4 Alabama - #5 Florida State - #6 Georgia - #7 Ohio State - #8 Oregon - #9 Missouri - #10 Penn State - #11 Mississippi - #12 Oklahoma - 2023-2027 FBS/FCS Team Lists/Rosters - CFB's Best Player Names By Year/Position - Draft Scout Player Directory A-Z - Players by School/College List A-Z - Draft Scout Rokfin Football Channel - Draft Scout Weekly - Phil Steele/Draft Scout - Contact Draft Scout Player Rankings by Conference: -ACC- | -American Athletic- | -Big 12- | -Big Ten- | -Conference USA- | -Independent- | -Mid-American- | -Mountain West- | -Pac-12- | -SEC- | -Sun Belt-

NFL Draft Scout History

- 1997 Coach Bill Walsh Draft Insider (First/Early NFL Draft Scout) - 2023 NFL Draft Tracker/Results - 2023 Undrafted by Position - 2023 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2023 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - Draft Scout Evolve: Player Rating Changes - 2023 NFL Combine - Draft Scout CFB Risers - Draft Scout CFB Fallers - 2023 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2023-26 #1 Georgia Bulldogs - 2023-26 #3 TCU Horned Frogs - 2022-23 CFB Bowl Schedule - EA College Football Game Pushed Back to 2024 - CFB Schedule/Roster/News Links - CFB Player Injury News & Notes - CFB Injuries by Year/Position

2022 Draft Scout

- 2022 NFL Draft Tracker - 2022 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2022 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - 2022 NFL Combine/Results - 2022 NFL Combine Risers by Position - 2022 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2021 Draft Scout Top 100

Draft Scout by Conference

2023 Draft Scout Offense

2023 Draft Scout Defense

2022 Draft Scout Offense

2022 Draft Scout Defense

05/09/22 - DT Junior Tafuna, rSr/2025, Utah

As good as Utah defensive tackle Junior Tafuna was last season as a freshman, the coaching staff is confident that his best is yet to come. A 6-foot-3, 297-pound, three-star recruit out of Bingham High, Tafuna served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Praia, Cape Verde, before joining the program in 2020. While Tafuna didn't play that season, in 2021, he recorded 33 tackles, including 4.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. For his efforts, he earned Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honors and Associated Press Pac-12 All-Conference Second-Team recognition.

"He's a guy that we recruited to be a D-end. He goes on a mission and comes back and he's a little heavier than a regular D-end," said defensive ends coach Lewis Powell. "We move him inside and the twitchiness just continues...He continues to develop. He's going to be special to watch this year, for sure." "This is a guy that was playing linebacker and D-end in high school. We knew he was twitchy enough. It was a matter of putting on the weight," he said. "Our staff does an unbelievable job making sure we're putting on the right weight, not doing it too quick. "He's devoted his time during the offseason to putting on the right weight. He's another 15 pounds heavier than he was. He's striking very well. We anticipate him having a very special season." "There's no ceiling with him. He has unbelievable talent. He does some things that some other guys really can't," Elliss said. "He's that explosive and that talented. He has a high ceiling, if there is a ceiling. I think he's going to be even better than he was last year." - Deseret News

rSr/2025