USC Football captain wins PAC-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week...again

USC Football DL Tuli Tuipulotu has officially been named PAC-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week for a third straight week, after his performance against Cal this past week. Everyone knew it was coming, as Tuipulotu had a two-sack/2.5 tackle for loss game vs. the Golden Bears. To put up this type of performance while having to play both DT and DE, and also drop back in coverage is amazing.

Tuipulotu has been playing both Defensive Tackle and Defensive End all season, and he's also been dropping back in pass coverage at times these last two weeks with such little linebacker depth they have available due to injuries. Still, he's up to nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

That means he's leading the nation in sacks, and that tackles for loss number is fourth in the country (first among Power 5 players). He's absolutely an All-American through these first nine games of the season, and it might only get better for him. He's going up against Colorado this week, which has allowed 1.89 sacks per game this year. That's tied for just 55th in America.

They're also tied for 56th in tackles for loss allowed per game at 5.33. UCLA and Notre Dame's offensive lines aren't intimidating either, at least on the sack front. UCLA is 27th in sacks allowed per game at 1.22, and Notre Dame is tied for 28th with 1.33 sacks per game allowed. Tuipulotu is absolutely capable of wreaking havoc on those lines.

USC Football DL Tuli Tuipulotu is putting himself in position to be drafted in the first round.

Entering the season, it was plausible that Tuli Tuipulotu could represent USC Football tremendously as an early round draft pick. Now, it may be even better because he's not only positioning himself as an early round pick with his performance this season, but very well may be a first round selection. It makes sense, as it's not just sacks and tackles for loss.

He's also swatted a couple PD's, and again, is doing what he's doing this year despite being able to settle in on one position. He's become even more versatile, and put all kinds of film on tape for NFL front offices to see.

He's still got four more games at the college level to dominate in (including the bowl game), though. And with how consistently great he's been this year, scouts could end up seeing him feast in every one of them.