2020 USC Football Roster
Roster
Marlon Tuipulotu
- Position:
- Defensive Lineman
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 305
- Class:
- Redshirt Junior
- Hometown:
- Independence, OR
- High School:
- Central
CAREER: He has 104 tackles, including 15 for losses (with 8.5 sacks), plus 3 deflections and 2 forced fumbles in his career. He has appeared in 33 games in his career, starting 29 times.
2020: The veteran Tuipulotu started for his third season on the defensive line as a junior in 2020 and had a standout showing. Overall in 2020 while starting all 6 games at nose tackle, he had 23 tackles, including 3.5 for losses of 22 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 19 yards), and he forced a fumble. He was named to the 2020 All-Pac-12 first team, AP All-Pac12 first team, Phil Steele All-Pac-12 first team and Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 third team. He was a 2021 Senior Bowl invitee.
He had 8 tackles, including 2 for losses (with a sack), against Arizona State to earn Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. He led USC with 8 tackles (0.5 for loss) at Arizona, then had 4 tackles with a sack and forced a fumble at Utah. He had a tackle at UCLA and 2 tackles against Oregon.
2019: Tuipulotu started again at defensive tackle as a sophomore in 2019. Overall in 2019 while starting all 12 games he played (all but Arizona State), he had 46 tackles, including 6 for losses of 19 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 10 yards), plus 3 deflections and a forced fumble. He missed the Arizona State game because of a back injury.
He had 5 tackles and forced a fumble against Fresno State, 4 tackles (1 for loss) against Stanford, 5 tackles, including 1.5 for losses (with 0.5 sack), at BYU, 5 tackles (0.5 sack) and 2 deflections against Utah, 5 tackles at Washington, 6 tackles at Notre Dame, 3 tackles (including 1.5 for losses, with 0.5 sack) against Arizona, 4 tackles at Colorado, 1 tackle against Oregon, 4 tackles (with 0.5 sack) at California, 2 tackles (1 for a loss) and a deflection against UCLA and 2 tackles against Iowa.
2018: Tuipulotu, who missed most of 2017 with a back injury after a promising start, returned healthy and started at nose tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2018. Overall in 2018 while appearing in all 12 games and starting the last 10 (all but UNLV and Stanford), he had 33 tackles, including 5.5 for losses of 17 yards (with 4.5 sacks for minus 15 yards). He was held out of 2018 spring practice while recovering from that 2017 back injury.
He had 4 tackles against UNLV, 1 tackle (with 0.5 for a loss) at Stanford, a tackle at Texas, 2 tackles against Washington State, 3 tackles at Arizona, a tackle against Colorado, 2 tackles (with a sack) at Utah, 5 tackles against Arizona State, 3 tackles (with 0.5 sack) at Oregon State, 5 tackles (1.5 for losses, including a sack) against California, 3 tackles at UCLA and 2 of his 3 tackles against Notre Dame were sacks.
2017: Tuipulotu, who enrolled at USC in the spring of 2017 after graduating a semester early from high school and had an impressive showing in spring drills, was set to be a big contributor at defensive tackle as a first-year freshman in 2017 before injuries struck. He sprained his left knee against Stanford and missed the Texas game, then suffered a back injury prior to the Washington State game that sidelined him the rest of the season. Because of the early-season injury, he was able to medically redshirt. Overall while appearing in 3 early games (Western Michigan, Stanford and California, even starting versus Stanford), he had 2 tackles (both against Western Michigan).
HIGH SCHOOL: He made 2016 Prep Star All-American, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Tacoma News Tribune Northwest Nuggets, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, USA Today All-Oregon Defensive Player of the Year, All-State Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year and All-Mid-Willamette Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior defensive tackle and offensive tackle at Central High in Independence (Ore.). In 2016, he had 62 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 2 deflections and 1 blocked field goal.
As a junior in 2015, he made All-State Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year and All-Mid-Willamette Conference Defensive Player of the Year while making 78 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 2 interceptions and 2 deflections.
As a 2014 sophomore, he made Max Preps Sophomore All-American second team while getting 72 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 5 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fumble. He had 57 tackles and 1 blocked field goal as a 2013 freshman.
He also wrestled at Central, winning the state Class 5A 285-pound championship as a junior.
PERSONAL: He is a political science major at USC. His brother, Tuli, is a freshman defensive lineman at USC. His cousins are current USC junior safety Talanoa Hufanga and former USC (2005-08) defensive tackle Fili Moala, who played in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts (2009-14).
