Lot of Latu Latitude: He Played, Skipped Redshirt Process
When they come to the University of Washington football program, the big guys generally don't play right away or much at all as true freshman. They only get a taste.
An uninterrupted year in the weight room is a prerequisite. Or there's a long line at their positions and they go to the back of it. More likely, they eat and they lift.
In terms of early advancement, Laiatu Latu was the notable exception for the Huskies in 2019. He turned up as this 6-foot-4, 266-pound edge rusher from Sacramento, California, who went right to work.
It's there's any true indicator for lineman greatness it's this -- early playing time.
Of six true freshmen who weren't asked to preserve a season of eligibility and redshirt, Latu was the only one who wasn't a defensive back, wide receiver or placekicker. He was physically ready to compete on Saturdays and he did, appearing in 12 of 13 games.
After such a precocious start to his UW football career, his coaches are counting on him to make steady advancement.
"He has some unique skills for us as big and as an agile of an athlete as he is," said Pete Kwiatkowski, Husky defensive coordinator. "He just needs to keep developing and getting stronger. He keeps putting in the work. We fully expect him to make a big impact for us."
This is another in a series of profiles on prospective UW football starters. While spring practice was canceled because of the pandemic, Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated continues to provide uninterrupted coverage.
Late might have been the most heavily recruited Husky in his class, drawing 22 scholarship offers. He was thought to be headed to USC before he took his official visit to Washington.
Another barometer of greatness. The USC team sites bemoaned his decision to play for the Huskies rather than immediately thrash him as someone the Trojans didn't want after all.
Turning up at school in a purple bow tie for signing day, Latu explained how Shaq Thompson was one of the deciding factors in making his college choice. They were two Sacramento guys, one full of admiration for the other.
Thompson, somewhat of a local legend in Northern California, was a two-way player for the Huskies and is now enjoying a long career with the Carolina Panthers as a linebacker. Shaq reached out to Latu.
"Shaq Thompson hit me up and is supporting me," the impressionable rush end said. "He IM'd me his number. I said no way is this happening. I was super excited."
Latu made immediate inroads, credited with a safety in the opener against Eastern Washington and a sack in the next game against California.
He dealt with an undisclosed injury that slowed him later in the season, but he finished strong with a pair of tackles in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Latu got on the field early and often. He's switched numbers in the offseason, from 56 to 13. But he's a guy moving forward.
SUMMARY: Latu finished with 16 tackles. Kwiatkowski expects Latu to follow Joe Tryon's growth spurt, which means a big sophomore season could be in order.
GRADE (1 to 5): He gets a 3.5, a number sure to keep growing. He's lived up to his high regard.
