_(cropped).jpg) Hufanga at the 2018All-American Bowl | |||||||||||||||
| No. 9 – Denver Broncos | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Safety | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1999-02-02)February 2, 1999 (age 26) Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Crescent Valley(Corvallis, Oregon) | ||||||||||||||
| College | USC (2018–2020) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2021: 5th round, 180th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2025 | |||||||||||||||
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Talanoa Hufanga (/ˌtæləˈnoʊəhuˈfɑːŋɡə/TA-lə-NOH-ə hoo-FAHN-gə;[1] born February 2, 1999) is an American professionalfootballsafety for theDenver Broncos of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theUSC Trojans and was selected by theSan Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the2021 NFL draft.
Hufanga attendedCrescent Valley High School inCorvallis, Oregon.[2] He played safety,wide receiver, andquarterback. As a senior in 2017, he was the Polynesian High School National Player of the Year. He played in the 2018U.S. Army All-American Game.[3] Hufanga committed to theUniversity of Southern California (USC) to playcollege football.[4][5][6]
As atrue freshman at USC in 2018, Hufanga played in eight games with five starts before suffering a season-ending broken collarbone.[7] He finished the season with 51 tackles. As a sophomore in 2019, he started all 10 games he played in and recorded 90 tackles and 3.5 sacks.[8] Hufanga returned to USC as a starter his junior year in 2020.[9][10] He andBYU quarterbackZach Wilson were selected as co-recipients of the 2020Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.[11] For the 2020 season, Hufanga was a ConsensusAll-American.[12] In addition, he wonPac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year.[13]
| Year | G | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | PD | FF | ||
| 2018 | 8 | 31 | 20 | 51 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 | 58 | 32 | 90 | 7.5 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2020 | 6 | 40 | 22 | 62 | 5.5 | 3.0 | 4 | 90 | 22.5 | 1 | 2 |
| Career | 24 | 129 | 74 | 203 | 16.5 | 6.5 | 4 | 90 | 22.5 | 8 | 4 |
NFL.com lead analystLance Zierlein projected Hufanga to be selected in the fourth or fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.[14]Bleacher Report had him ranked as the 12th best safety prospect and projected him to be selected in the fourth round.[15] Dane Brugler ofthe Athletic had Hufanga ranked as the eighth best safety prospect.[16]Scouts Inc. had him as the 20th best safety in their big board (212th overall).[17]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+3⁄8 in (1.84 m) | 199 lb (90 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) | 4.64 s | 1.63 s | 2.65 s | 4.39 s | 6.96 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) | 12 reps | |
| All values fromPro Day[18][19] | ||||||||||||
TheSan Francisco 49ers selected Hufanga in the fifth round (180th overall) of the2021 NFL draft. He was the 14th safety drafted in 2021.[20] On May 13, 2021, the 49ers signed Hufanga to a four-year, $3.72 millionrookie contract that includes an initialsigning bonus of $240,152.[21][22]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 49ers select Talanoa Hufanga No. 180 | |
| 49ers call safety Talanoa Hufanga |
Throughouttraining camp, Hufanga competed to be the starting strong safety againstTavon Wilson,Tarvarius Moore, andJaquiski Tartt.[23] Head coachKyle Shanahan named Hufanga the No. 2 strong safety on the depth chart to begin the season. Jaquiski Tartt was named the starting strong safety alongside free safetyJimmie Ward.[24]
On September 12, 2021, Hufanga made his professional regular season debut during the San Francisco 49ers' season-opener at theDetroit Lions, but saw limited snaps on defense and special teams as the 49ers won 41–33. On October 31, 2021, Hufanga earned his first career start in place of Jaquiski Tartt, who was placed on injured reserve due to an injury. He collected a season-high five combined tackles (four solo) during a 33–22 win at theChicago Bears. He was inactive for two games (Weeks 16–17) after sustaining a knee injury.[25] He finished his rookie campaign with a total of 32 combined tackles (28 solo) and two pass deflections in 15 games and three starts.[26] He received an overall grade of 62.5 fromPro Football Focus as a rookie in 2021.
The San Francisco 49ers finished the2021 NFL season third in theNFC West with a 10–7 record, clinching a Wildcard berth. He was sidelined during a 23–17 win at theDallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild-Card Game. On January 22, 2022, Hufanga appeared in his first career playoff game and scored his first career touchdown after returning a blocked punt during a 13–10 win at theGreen Bay Packers in theDivisional Round. He scored his touchdown after defensive linemanJordan Willis blocked a punt byCorey Bojorquez and returned it six–yard to score a critical touchdown in the fourth quarter.[27][28]
During training camp, Hufanga competed to be a starting safety againstTayler Hawkins,Leon O'Neal Jr., andGeorge Odum. Head coachKyle Shanahan named him the starting strong safety to begin the season and paired him withTashaun Gipson.[29]
On September 11, 2022, Hufanga started in the San Francisco 49ers season-opener at theChicago Bears and collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (nine solo), made one pass deflection, and had the first interception of his career on a pass byJustin Fields to wide receiverDarnell Mooney during the 10–19 loss. On October 3, 2022, he made four combined tackles (three solo), a pass deflection, and had the first pick-six of his career during a 24–9 victory against theLos Angeles Rams. His touchdown occurred after he intercepted a pass thrown byMatthew Stafford to wide receiverCooper Kupp and returned it for a 52–yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.[30] The following week, he recorded five combined tackles (two solo), broke up a pass, and made his first career sack onBaker Mayfield for a one–yard loss during a 37–15 win at theCarolina Panthers in Week 5. In Week 10, he produced two combined tackles (one solo), made a pass deflection, and had a critical game-sealing interception on a pass thrown byJustin Herbert to wide receiverJosh Palmer with less than 53 seconds in the fourth quarter as the 49ers defeated theLos Angeles Chargers 22–16. He started all 17 games during the2022 NFL season and finished with a total of 97 combined tackles (66 solo), nine passes defended, a career-high four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one sack.[31] He earned aPro Bowl nomination and first teamAll-Pro honors.[32][33] He was ranked 78th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2023.[34] He received an overall grade of 72.1 from Pro Football Focus in 2022.[35]
The San Francisco 49ers finished the 2022 NFL season a top the NFC West with a 13–4 record to clinch a playoff berth. On January 14, 2023, Hufanga had his first career start in a playoff game and made five combined tackles (three solo) as the 49ers defeated theSeattle Seahawks 41–23 in the NFC Wild-card Game. The following week, the 49ers defeated theDallas Cowboys 19–12 during the Divisional Round. On January 29, 2023, Hufanga started in the NFC Championship Game, recording six combined tackles (five solo) and one pass deflection as the 49ers lost 7–31 at thePhiladelphia Eagles.
On February 9, 2023, theSan Francisco 49ers hiredSteve Wilks to be their new defensive coordinator afterDeMeco Ryans accepted the head coaching position with theHouston Texans.[36] Head coach Kyle Shanahan named Hufanga as the starting strong safety to begin the season and paired him with Tashaun Gipson.[37]
On September 10, 2023, Hufanga started in the San Francisco 49ers' season-opener at thePittsburgh Steelers and made five solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass byKenny Pickett to tight endConnor Heyward during a 30–7 victory. In Week 8, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) during a 17–31 loss against theCincinnati Bengals. On November 19, 2023, Hufanga made one solo tackle before exiting in the second quarter of a 27–14 win against theTampa Bay Buccaneers after suffering a torn ACL. On November 21, 2023, the 49ers officially placed Hufanga on injured reserve for the remainder of the season due to historn ACL.[38] He finished the season with 52 combined tackles (39 solo), three pass deflections, and three interceptions in ten games and ten starts.[39]
The San Francisco 49ers finished the2023 NFL season a top the NFC West with a 12–5 record, clinching a first-round bye. They defeated theGreen Bay Packers 24–21 in the Divisional Round and defeated theDetroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game 34–31. On February 11, 2024, the 49ers lostSuper Bowl LVIII in overtime 25–22 to theKansas City Chiefs.[40]
Hufanga remained on injured reserve for the first two games of the season (Weeks 1–2). He was inactive during a 30–13 win against theNew England Patriots in Week 4 after injuring his ankle. In Week 5, Hufanga made one solo tackle before exiting in the second quarter of a 23–24 loss against theArizona Cardinals due to a wrist injury. On October 9, 2024, the 49ers officially placed him on injured reserve due to torn ligaments in his wrist. On December 7, 2024, Hufanga was activated off of the injured reserve after he was inactive for seven consecutive games (Weeks 6–13).[41] In Week 15, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles (two solo) during a 6–12 loss against theLos Angeles Rams. He finished the2024 NFL season with a total of 38 combined tackles (20 solo) in seven games and seven starts. He received an overall grade of 57.8 fromPro Football Focus.[42]
On March 10, 2025, theDenver Broncos signed Hufanga to a three-year, $45 million contract that includes $20 million guaranteed.[43][44][22]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | TfL | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||
| 2021 | SF | 15 | 3 | 32 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | SF | 17 | 17 | 97 | 66 | 31 | 5 | 2.0 | 9 | 4 | 61 | 15.3 | 52T | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | SF | 10 | 10 | 52 | 39 | 13 | 1 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | SF | 7 | 7 | 38 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 49 | 37 | 219 | 149 | 70 | 9 | 2.0 | 14 | 7 | 109 | 15.6 | 52T | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
Hufanga is ofTongan descent. He is the son of Tevita and Tanya Hufanga and has a brother named TJ.[45][46] Hufanga also trains with Hall of Fame safetyTroy Polamalu.[47][48]
He is the cousin ofKansas City Chiefsdefensive tackleMarlon Tuipulotu andLos Angeles ChargerslinebackerTuli Tuipulotu.[49]