Top Returning Dawgs: No. 10 Tuli Letuligasenoa

Recently Pac-12 Network analyst Yogi Roth posed a question that directly impacts Washington.

Who is the best non-quarterback in the conference?

The answer isn’t as cut and dry as it appears. 

Fortunately head coach Kalen DeBoer the Huskies return the one of the best defenders in the conference, edge rusher Bralen Trice, and two of the best receivers in the country, Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan.

If UW wants to reach the heights it seeks in 2023 they’ll need more than just those four players flourishing. Leading into fall camp we'll rank the 10 best returning UW players not named Michael Penix Jr.

Up first: No. 10 Tuli Letuligasenoa

The 6-foot-1, 302-pound senior defensive lineman started all but one game in 2022 – at Arizona State – and finished the season as the fourth-highest graded player at his position by Pro Football Focus.

Letuligasenoa made most of his mark in run defense last season helping cut the number of rushing touchdowns allowed by a third from 2021. Defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield noted early on last season the impact of the veteran presence up front next to sophomore Faatui Tuitele.

“I think they bring a lot of experience,” Breckterfield said after UW defeated Michigan State in September. “The game was never too big for them. I think they set the tone in the room with their experience and I thought they played physical.”

UW allowed 270 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground in the first three games combined against Kent State, Portland State and Michigan State. The defense faired similarly well against the run in the final three games against Colorado, Washington State and Texas in the Alamo Bowl allowing 205 yards and three scores.

The problem for the Huskies was the meat of their schedule.

In both defeats to UCLA and ASU the defense allowed two of the three highest yards per attempt (4.72 and 4.88 respectively). Only Oregon (6.14) ran for more yards per carry last season. 

If not for perfect archery from Penix in the fourth quarter and Peyton Henry connecting on all three of his field goals it could very well have been a much less favorable outcome for UW.

Fortunately for DeBoer and Co. they won that night in Eugene.

Both Oregon and UW are expected to be two of the better teams in the conference when they meet this fall on October 14 at Husky Stadium. Bucky Irvin, who ran for a season-high 149 yards on 20 carries against the Huskies last season, returns in 2023.

Irvin is the only running backs in the conference returning who ran for over 1,000 yards last season. He’s not the only player at the position coming back UW struggled to contain in 2022.

Letuligasenoa battled through some nagging injuries early in the season and didn’t start against the Sun Devils in part to continue working him back to full strength. For UW to have the success it aims to this fall the senior has to be a healthy, consistent contributor. 

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