DALLAS – University of Utah Football defensive tackle Junior Tafuna was honored nationally today after being named to the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy preseason watch lists.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given annually to the best defensive player in FBS football with the Outland Trophy recognizing the best interior linemen. Each list has 75 total players representing conferences from across the country.
Tafuna is a three-time all-conference selection with 38 career games and 36 starts as a Ute. He was the 2021 Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, recording 33 tackles (5.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) that season.
In 2022, the Taylorsville, Utah, native started all 14 games with 27 tackles (3.5 TFL, 1.0 sack), also grabbing his first interception as a Ute against Southern Utah. He entered 2023 as one of the best defensive tackles in the country, racking up 17 tackles (3.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks).
