UW Roster Review, No. 0-99: Fast-Rising Tuputala Suffered Spring Setback

Promising inside linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala was there for the beginning of University of Washington spring football practice and then he wasn't in attendance.

His situation went unexplained until he appeared in an ILB group photo following the spring game.

Tuputala leaned on a scooter, his right leg wrapped up as if he were dealing with some sort of foot surgery.

Either way, the 6-foot-2 and 230-pound player they call "Zo" was a spring-practice wash, a football casualty.

Coach Jimmy Lake typically doesn't address Husky player injuries unless they are long term or highly visible, such as those that resulted in surgery for starting outside linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui (Achilles rupture) or walk-on offensive lineman Will Pliska (broken ankle).

For Tuputala, this appears to be limited setback rather than a career-impacting ailment, but we won't know until the Huskies reconvene in a month and a half.

The Federal Way, Washington, product overall still remains the most advanced player of the class of 2019 linebackers who initially included Daniel Heimuli, who picked the Huskies over Alabama; Josh Calvert, who has since transferred to Utah; Miki Ah You, the Hawaiian who came to the UW recovering from a knee injury; and walk-on Drew Fowler, who already has appeared in four games.

"He's a big, physical kid who can run," UW defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said of Tuputala.

Going down the roster in numerical order, this is another of our post-spring assessments of all of the Husky talent at hand, gleaned from a month of observations, as a way to keep everyone engaged during the offseason.

Tuputala wears No. 40, a jersey he shares with no one else. In the distant past, his shirt was worn by high-profile Husky running backs in Donnie Moore and Dave Kopay.

Bigger and more physically developed than all of his second-row peers, Tuputala is being groomed to take over for either Eddie Ulofoshio or Jackson Sirmon once those starters use up their eligibility.

While still just a redshirt freshman in class standing, because of the pandemic freebie, he's already appeared in four games each of the past two seasons, pulling more time than any of the others in his linebacker class.

Before going out with injury, Tuputala made a sensational interception on a pass from Colorado State transfer Patrick O'Brien, catching a high hard one after getting shoved from behind.

"He's taken a step with his game," Gregory said prior to Tuputala's injury and comparing him to his peers. "At this point, it would be him."

Big Zo just needs to park that scooter and start motoring up the field on his own again.

Tuputala's 2021 Outlook: Projected backup inside linebacker

UW Service Time: Played in 8 games

Stats: 7 tackles

Individual Honors: Not yet

Pro Prospects: 2025 NFL third-day draftee

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