UteNation Countdown to Kickoff: No. 50 Fua Pututau

We’ve hit the 50 day mark in the UteNation Countdown to Kickoff, and today it’s time to talk about defensive tackle Fua Pututau. The 6-foot-1 and 297 pounder has seen action in four games over three years, with three of those coming at defensive tackle last season.

Pututau served an LDS mission after signing with Utah in the 2016 recruiting class. Prior to that, Fua was a two-time honorable mention all-state and first-team all-region prospect out of Cottonwood High School. He also played some offense, compiling 74 all-purpose yards (48 rushing, 26 receiving) in 2015, and played basketball as a freshman.

One thing that will benefit Fua in 2022 is the heavy tackle rotation that the Utes could attack with. That being said, when you have two talents like Junior Tafuna and Tennessee Pututau, you want them on the field as much as possible.

UteNation take

Fua just needs to know his role and be a solid dependable backup. As mentioned above, it will be immensely difficult to surpass Tafuna and Tennessee. However, that shouldn’t take anything away from Utah’s deep talent at the position. Fall camp will be crucial for him as it should be an intense battle for the two-deep rotation.

Remembering Pututau’s recruitment

As a three-star defensive end out of Cottonwood HS, Pututau was rated the no. 38 weakside defensive end in the 2016 class. While he had five Pac-12 offers, his decision ultimately came down to three schools: Utah, BYU and Colorado. The decision was relatively easy for Fua, as he had the opportunity to play with his older brother, Hauati, at Utah. Their brother Taniela would follow in 2018, and their cousin Tennessee a year after that—in what is an immensely talented group of family members.