Talanoa Hufanga told reporters after he was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of this year’s draft that he wanted to make the Pro Bowl as a special teams player. While he should see some action on special teams, he’s played himself into a potentially larger role in his rookie year.
Injuries ahead of him on the depth chart have given Hufanga an opportunity to get reps with the starting defense in training camp and the first two preseason games. He’s responded with noteworthy performances that could make him the starting strong safety once the regular season begins.
“Yes, I think Hufanga with the way he’s played these last two weeks and the way he’s been in practice, I think he’s definitely given himself an opportunity,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday about Hufanga’s chance to start. “Obviously (SS Jaquiski) Tartt has been out, PUP, and (S) Tavon (Wilson) has had a real good camp too here, so we’ll see how that finishes out.”
Hufanga’s trajectory for this season changed in camp when the pads came on and the full scope of his game came into view. His presence around the football became a regular note from reports out of practice. Shanahan even invoked Troy Polamalu’s name when describing Hufanga’s play.
His debut against the Chiefs saw him notch a pair of tackles on defense and two more on special teams. The productivity went down against the Chargers, but he played as though he belonged on an NFL field.
Pro Football Focus has him down for three total tackles, and one reception allowed for five yards on two targets. That’s good for a 56.3 passer rating against. Hufanga has lined up all over the field, and the lone blemish on his preseason record was a pass interference penalty early on Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill.
Hufanga wanted to be a Pro Bowler on special teams, but there’s a real chance by the time the dust settles that he could be in position to hold an even more valuable role for a San Francisco team that expects to be among the NFL’s best in 2021.
Here’s who we’re watching Sunday when the #49ers defense is on the field vs. the Chargers.
The 49ers’ starting defense looks for the most part on track to be ready for the season opener. There are a slew of depth issues yet to be resolved though, and how Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers goes could go a long way toward sussing out some of the roster questions still facing the club.
Finding depth on the defensive side will be key given how unproven a lot of those players are. Any reserve thrust into a starting situation is going to do so without a ton of playing experience. That’s why so many of the young players that were on our radar for the preseason opener will be on our list of players to watch in the second preseason contest against the Chargers.
#49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan sees a little Troy Polamalu in rookie safety Talanoa Hufanga.
49ers 2021 fifth-round pick Talanoa Hufanga said he wants to make the Pro Bowl as a special teams player his rookie season. That’s a lofty goal, but one that seems more achievable after hearing head coach Kyle Shanahan invoke a Hall of Famer when discussing the young safety.
“I mean, he loves to run around and loves to act like Troy Polamalu out there,” Shanahan said. “Still got a ways to go before he’s a Hall of Famer, but now he’s done a good job. He enjoy his presence out there. He has fun. You can tell he enjoys playing football. He fits in well. He’s a guy that, you know, you can tell it goes up when he gets the pads on. He was a lot more excited for the pads and you feel a little bit different energy out there since we’ve been putting the pads on.”
Hufanga’s college tape showed a high-energy safety who flies around and stays near the football, not unlike Polamalu was in the NFL. While they both attended USC, Hufanga has a sizable hill to climb before getting in the same class as the Steelers’ legend. Polamalu finished his Hall-of-fame career with 783 tackles, 32 interceptions, 107 pass breakups, 14 forced fumbles, 12.0 sacks and 56 tackles for loss. He filled up the stat sheet for 12 NFL seasons.
The good news for Hufanga, who may has a crowded path to a starting strong safety job in Year 1, is that Polamalu didn’t get any starts his rookie year. He did play in 16 games and notched 48 tackles, two tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. If Hufanga does that this year the 49ers secondary will be in great shape.
Realistically the chances that Hufanga matches Polamalu’s career are slim to none. Fifth-round picks don’t often turn into all-time greats.
However, Hufanga’s mindset and playing style mirroring his fellow USC alum’s bode well for him reaching his sizable goal of earning a Pro Bowl bid on special teams his first year. If he can continue Polamalu impressions into the season, he could wind up carving out a nice career in the back end of the 49ers’ defense as well.
The San Francisco 49ers signed 10 rookies, including five draft picks to contracts. Trey Lance was not among them.
The San Francisco 49ers on Thursday made 10 rookie signings official, including five of their eight draft picks and five undrafted free agents.
No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance was not among the players to sign one day before the start of rookie minicamp. Third-round picks RB Trey Sermon and CB Ambry Thomas have also yet to ink their rookie deals.
Given the standardized nature of the NFL’s four-year rookie contracts for draft picks there’s not a ton to iron out and the signings are more of a formality than anything. Players just have to sign before training camp starts or they’ll have to hold out.
There weren’t any surprises among the undrafted players either. San Francisco’s UDFA class is relatively small with four plus their signee via the NFL international pathway program.
Here are the 10 rookies who inked their deals Thursday:
The San Francisco 49ers took Talanoa Hufanga in the NFL draft, and getting him late in the fifth round might make him their biggest steal.
Talanoa Hufanga shortly after the 49ers made him the No. 180 overall pick in this year’s draft told reporters his Year 1 goal was to make the Pro Bowl as a special teams player. While that’s a relatively lofty goal, he might need to adjust his sights a little higher. The Draft Wire listed Hufanga as the 49ers’ biggest steal of the 2021 draft.
Hufanga becoming a dominant special teams player and making his mark in that facet would be a nice result for the 49ers’ late fifth-round selection. The team’s immediate future at safety, where Hufanga figures to play, is uncertain.
Starting strong safety Jaquiski Tartt re-signed on a one-year deal. Marcell Harris is on the final year of his rookie contract. Tarvarius Moore may wind up factoring in as a free safety down the road, and veteran Tavon Wilson is only on a one-year deal. Hufanga will have a chance as a rookie to earn a role on defense, and he may go into his second season as the favorite to start.
The workout numbers don’t jump off the page for Hufanga, which might’ve contributed to him falling to the back of Round 5. He’s only 6-foot, 200 pounds and ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at USC’s Pro Day.
His production in college does stand out though and indicates his game speed is better than his straight-line speed in a workout. Hufanga in three seasons with the Trojans racked up 203 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, four interceptions and eight pass breakups. Turn on any USC game during his tenure and chances are he’ll finish the play around the football.
If he does wind up translating that all-around production to the NFL and becomes a starting-caliber safety and Pro Bowl-caliber special teams ace, he’ll easily become not only the 49ers’ biggest steal, but one of the steals of the entire draft.
The 49ers addressed their secondary for the third time with their third pick in the fifth round of the NFL draft. With the 180th overall pick, they selected USC safety Talanoa Hufanga.
Hufanga did a little bit of everything for the Trojans during his three years there. In 24 games, he racked up 203 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, four interceptions and eight pass breakups.
The 49ers don’t have a ton of depth at safety, nor do they have many long-term options there.
Hufanga doesn’t have the kind of range to play the Jimmie Ward role at free safety, but he has the skills near the line of scrimmage to play strong safety in the 49ers’ defense. He’s an extremely willing tackler who looks like a linebacker at times, but Hufanga is more than capable of playing coverage in short areas in the middle of the field against running backs and tight ends.
He needs a little development, but he has the tools to contribute on special teams right away and projects long-term as a strong safety.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with USC defensive back prospect Talanoa Hufanga
For all of his successes, USC safety Talanoa Hufanga has done a good job of staying humble and staying true to himself.
A versatile defender who can stop the run and drop back in coverage efficiently in the secondary, Hufanga is coming off of an incredible 2020 campaign that has seen him shoot up draft boards in recent months. Still, throughout his pre-draft process, he has been able to maintain a level-headed mindset and is grateful to be in the position he is today.
Hufanga recently sat down exclusively with The Draft Wire and talked about his 2020 season, working with Troy Polamalu, how his offensive background in high school helps him read offenses, and much more.
JI: You’ve been training with Troy Polamalu leading up to the draft. How has it been, being able to learn under one of the best safeties to play the game?
TH: It’s been an incredible experience, to say the least. I’ve been fortunate enough in the spot that I am to pick somebody’s brain, to learn from someone I can call a friend, and someone who’s teaching me a little bit more about life than just football. I’m great for the opportunity; I just want to be a sponge and absorb everything that’s coming out of his mouth.
JI: How did that opportunity come about?
TH: I was fortunate enough to be in contact with him coming out of high school, getting to know Troy and getting to know his family a little bit through our phone in this day and age, being able to FaceTime him and stuff like that. I was more or less just trying to learn from him in any way possible, but when I asked if I was able to train with him, he took it as an awesome opportunity for me to grow and learn. He’s been a mentor for me since high school, and I appreciate everything that he’s done for me. It presented itself like that.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
JI: You’re an incredibly versatile defender, and you were used in a lot of different alignments. If you had to choose, would you say you’re most comfortable in two-high shells, a center-fielder role, or near the box?
TH: Honestly, I think I’m a player that likes to be versatile like you said, so I think about me as not having a favorite. I think you’ve got to be so play all the positions, whether that be special teams, whether it’s being on the sideline encouraging your team. Being that type of player that can play the post, play the box, play man coverage on tight ends, match up with running backs, slots, No. 1 receivers, when you can try and make yourself as versatile as possible like that, I think your opportunities are endless.
JI: You were pretty versatile in high school, too. You were also a quarterback, and played multiple other sports. How has that background helped you at the safety position?
TH: It definitely has. To be quite frank, being a quarterback in high school, you learn a lot about throwing lanes, and when you run the ball, you learn how to attack a defender and what they’re really looking for offensively. You try to take that mindset and flip it, be a defender and see what they’re trying to do, how can you make them think the opposite when you’re trying to attack them. It’s really unique and unfolds itself, but being a true, two-way player in high school, it really helped make that transition to defense fully in college a much better transition.
JI: I’d figure playing quarterback gives you more insight in how quarterbacks go through progressions and how to scan the field, right?
TH: No doubt. I think a lot of it has to do with timing, as well. A quarterback has a clock in his head of, “What are the things that go on throughout the progressions and the reads?”, but we kind of have that inner clock and timing as a safety – or as a linebacker, anything – it can help you adjust to what kind of play we’re looking at and how things will unfold on the field. When you can use that to your advantage, you try to make the most of those opportunities and help the team in any way to win.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
JI: You have had some run-ins with injuries over the course of your career. Have teams expressed any concern about that to you, and how have you put that aside and put more of an emphasis on your tape?
TH: I think that injuries are a part of the game. Today’s football, the injury rate is 100 percent. There’s no guarantee that you’re going to be fine playing the game. For me, it’s just having a great time while I’m on the field, being present. I love the game, and for me, there’s nothing really to overcome because you can get injured in any way, shape or form, off the field, as well. For me, it’s just live in that moment, being happy with what’s going on, whether I’m on the field or off the field. I’m grateful to be breathing, at the end of the day.
A lot of coaches have expressed the player I am and the person I am more than anything that happened on the field. I really like to continue to be the best person I can be, because a lot of what happens in football is what happens. You can’t really control those things.
JI: How has your pre-draft process been in terms of meeting with teams? With the virtual visits this year, I’m just curious as to how often you’re having those this time of year.
TH: You know me, I just like to stick to myself. Like I said, I’m training with Troy, so it’s very busy with just him. Not too many meetings, but just getting a hold of whatever team needs me and to be available to do my best. It’s not a huge mob, but that’s not really a worry for me. I’m just trying to be the best person I can be and see how things unfold. I’m just grateful and give all the glory to God for the position that I’m in right now.
JI: You had a ton of accolades in 2020: Consensus All-American, first-team All-Pac-12, Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. What have those awards meant to you?
TH: I think a lot of it, first and foremost, is all glory to God, because without Him, I wouldn’t be in this position. I’ve had a great coaching staff at USC, great teammates and a great supporting staff, as well, just allowing me to be the best person and the best player I can be on the field, as well. It goes a testament to my teammates, just helping me be where I can and being where I am, doing my job on the field. When everybody does their job, a lot of success comes our way in general. As a team, I’m grateful to have all these people and different brothers, I will can them, a part of my life. Being able to play the game at such a high level and have those accolades is a testament to my teammates.
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
JI: Being as versatile as you are, you must’ve gone up against a lot of great players in a lot of different alignments. Who’s the toughest player you’ve had to go up against?
TH: If I’m being honest, I go up against a lot of tough players over the course of my practices, so going up against a guy like Amon-Ra [St. Brown] or a guy like Michael Pittman, those are guys that are great at what they do. Playing against them in practice is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, and it made the games a little bit easier. Going up against those guys truly was what made the games a little bit easier. Going up against them made me who I am and how I play the game because you don’t leave a lot of room for mistakes when you go against guys like that.
JI: Plus, you’ve had to go against talented quarterbacks in practice like Kedon Slovis and J.T. Daniels, so that must’ve been an “iron-sharpens-iron” situation.
TH: Oh, no doubt, and that’s what we call our periods in practice at the end, when you get to the later periods of practice. “Iron sharpens iron” is ones vs. ones, and you get that competition going, and going against quarterbacks like that just helps the game that much better. It helps you elevate your game to the highest level.
JI: How do you like to spend your time outside of football, and what kind of person should teams be expecting when they draft you?
TH: I am who I am. I’m a guy who’s very authentic to himself, a guy who has a lot of values and morals that go deep within my faith. I’m just a person that can help change a community in a brighter sense. I’m very kept to myself as much as I try to be. I’m vocal; I try to be myself and be authentic. So moving forward, any team that takes interest in me, I’m just grateful for that.
USC Trojans defensive back Talanoa Hufanga was named on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, given to the nation’s top defensive back.
The preseason awards keep rolling in for what should be a deep, talented USC Trojans squad in 2020.
The latest is for defensive back Talanoa Hufanga, who was named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, an award given to the nation’s top defensive back.
Hufanga is joined by six fellow PAC-12 defensive backs: Paulson Adebo from Stanford, Camryn Bynum from Cal, Thomas Graham and Jevon Holland from Oregon and Elijah Molden from Washington.
The incoming junior made the All-PAC-12 second team last year, finishing with 90 total tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2019.
The Thorpe Award has gone to the Trojans twice — Mark Carrier in 1989 and Adoree’ Jackson in 2016. USC is one of just eight schools to have multiple award winners.
Three USC Trojans defensive players, Jay Tufele, Drake Jackson and Talanoa Hufanga, were named to the Bednarik Award watch list.
In case you were worried attention was only being paid to USC’s offensive players during the preseason award campaign, never fear – three Trojans defensive players; defensive tackle Jay Tufele, defensive tackle Drake Jackson and safety Talanoa Hufanga, were all named to the Bednarik Award watch list – given to the nation’s top defensive player.
Jackson is entering his sophomore season after making the freshman All-American team last year, when he racked up 46 tackles, 11.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
Hufanga was on the All-PAC-12 second team last year after recording 90 tackles, second on the team, along with 7.5 tackles for loss.
Tufele is likely the best bet, as he is cropping up on a handful of first round mock drafts this offseason – with many expecting a breakout campaign in 2020. He was a PAC-12 first teamer in 2019 when he racked up 41 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks.
