Jay Tufele – Wikipedia

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American football player (born 1999)

American football player

Jayleen Pea Tufele[1] (born July 25, 1999) is an American football nose tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC.

Early years[edit]

Tufele attended Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah. As a sophomore in 2014, Tufele started on the varsity team, making 63 tackles and six sacks, which earned him a spot on the MaxPreps Sophomore All-American first-team. As a junior, Tufele anchored a defense that tallied eight shutouts, making 57 tackles and 10.5 sacks on his way to being named the Salt Lake Tribune’s high school football MVP.[2] Tufele did not play his senior year due to a torn ligament in his foot.

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Tufele also played rugby in high school.

Recruiting[edit]

Tufele was a consensus top-40 recruit and received scholarship offers from over 20 schools, including Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Utah, and USC.[3][4]
Tufele announced his commitment to USC on National Signing Day and enrolled in June.[5]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jay Tufele
DL 		South Jordan, Utah Bingham High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 297 lb (135 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 4 (DL), 1 (UT)  247Sports: 3 (DL), 1 (UT)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

College career[edit]

Tufele redshirted the 2017 season. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Tufele appeared in 12 games, starting five times. He made 23 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. In a week eight game against Utah, Tufele returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown, making him a nominee for the 2018 Piesman Trophy, which is awarded for the most impressive play made by a lineman.[6] After the season, he was named to the All-Pac-12 second team, won USC’s Defensive Lineman of the Year award, and was a Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honorable mention.

As a redshirt sophomore in 2019, Tufele started all 13 games and made 41 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, which was the second-most on the team. After the season, Tufele was named to the All-Pac-12 first team, an honorable mention on Phil Steele’s All-American team, and repeated as the Defensive Lineman of the Year for USC.

Statistics[edit]

Year GP Tackles For Loss Sacks Int FF
2018 12 23 4.5 3 0 0
2019 13 42 6.5 4.5 0 0
Total 25 65 11 7.5 0 0

Professional career[edit]

Jacksonville Jaguars[edit]

Tufele was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round, 106th overall, of the 2021 NFL Draft.[9] On May 21, 2021, he signed his four-year rookie contract with Jacksonville.[10] He was placed on injured reserve on October 29, 2021.[11] He was activated on December 4.

On August 30, 2022, Tufele was waived by the Jaguars.[12]

Cincinnati Bengals[edit]

On August 31, 2022, Tufele was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.[13]

Personal life[edit]

Tufele is of Polynesian descent. His father Line also played football. Tufele has two sisters and two younger brothers.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mellor, Cam (19 August 2020). “Jay Tufele opts out, declares for 2021 NFL Draft”. SB Nation. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. ^ Phibbs, Trevor (December 29, 2015). “Prep football: Bingham’s Jay Tufele named 2015 Tribune MVP”. Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  3. ^ “Jay Tufele Recruiting Profile”. 247Sports. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  4. ^ “Jay Tufele”. Rivals. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  5. ^ “Uay Tufele Timeline Events”. 247 Sports. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  6. ^ “The Piesman Trophy: college football’s greatest award”. Banner Society. 14 August 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  7. ^ “Jay Tufele Draft and Combine Prospect Profile”. NFL.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  8. ^ “Jay Tufele, Southern California, DT, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football”. draftscout.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  9. ^ Oehser, John (May 1, 2021). “No. 106 overall: Tufele is the selection”. Jaguars.com.
  10. ^ “NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/21/21”.
  11. ^ “Roster Moves: OL KC McDermott signed, DT Jay Tufele placed on IR”. Jaguars.com. October 29, 2021.
  12. ^ “Roster Moves: Jaguars waive 15 from the roster”. Jaguars.com. August 30, 2022.
  13. ^ “Bengals Roster Moves: Practice Squad Announced”. Bengals.com. August 31, 2022.

External links[edit]



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