FOOTBALL

Talanoa Hufanga Declares For NFL Draft

To no one’s surprise, USC safety Talanoa Hufanga declared for the NFL Draft today.

He has been named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.

I’m hearing USC’s other safety, Isaiah Pola-Mao, is expected to also declare for the draft.

31 thoughts on “Talanoa Hufanga Declares For NFL Draft”

  1. How bad must the 2021 record be to fire Helton? Might have to be under .500, given how much Folt loves Clay, but it will be hard, even for Helton, to drop below .500 against their 2021 schedule.

    No games against Oregon and Washington, plus 7 of the 12 games are at home.

    Pencil in losses to Notre Dame, BYU, maybe to Utah, maybe ASU, but that still is 8-4. Not to say I am rooting for losses, just that the village idiot may continue to be HC after next year. What a sh*t show.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Folt: “Well, no Natty in 2021—but we went 8-4 —with big wins against Cal and Arizona ….and exciting squeakers against Stanford and UCLA!!”
      #”NoTellingWhatWeCanDoIn2022!”
      #FightOn!

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      2. ‘owns”loses again! Amazing! Avg SAT scores higher for USC students than UCLA students (1440 vs. 1400)
        SAT Scores for Top 25 US Schools

        School US News Ranking 25th %ile SAT Score
        75th %ile SAT Score Avg SAT Score
        Princeton 1 1460 1570 1510
        Harvard 2 1460 1570 1510
        Columbia 3 1450 1570 1510
        MIT 4 (tie) 1510 1570 1540
        Yale 4 (tie) 1460 1570 1515
        Stanford 6 (tie) 1440 1570 1500
        UChicago 6 (tie) 1500 1570 1530
        Penn 8 1450 1560 1500
        Caltech 9 (tie) 1530 1560 1540
        Johns Hopkins 9 (tie) 1470 1570 1520
        Northwestern 9 (tie) 1440 1550 1490
        Duke 12 1480 1570 1520
        Dartmouth 13 1440 1560 1500
        Brown 14 (tie) 1440 1570 1500
        Vanderbilt 14 (tie) 1460 1560 1510
        Rice 16 (tie) 1470 1570 1520
        WUSTL 16 (tie) 1480 1560 1520
        Cornell 18 1400 1560 1480
        Notre Dame 19 1400 1550 1470
        UCLA 20 1280 1530 1400
        Emory 21 1360 1530 1440
        UC Berkeley 22 1310 1530 1420
        Georgetown 23 1380 1550 1460
        University of Michigan 24 (tie) 1340 1530 1430
        USC 24 (tie) 1360 1530 1440

        Liked by 1 person

    2. 67 — Have you noticed how none of our stars want to play past the bare minimum time they have to stay in college?
      #ThisIsNOTTheWayItIsInGreatPrograms….
      #PlayersWANTToReturnToHelpTheTeamWinANatty

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      2. Yeah –I forgot that part. More and more players are leaving just to get some coaching before they go to the NFL.
        #OrToSeeWhatIt’sLikeToPlayW/AnOffensiveLine…..
        #…. e.g., J. T., Markese, etc…….

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Attending the #85 private Univ. in a crumbing urban ghetto has little attraction. SUCC FB players want to move up to the eastside, as it were.

        Like

  2. Extremely happy for TH. He’s leaving at the top of his game. Hopefully that will carry on in the NFL where he can add to the family legacy by following in Troy’s steps and hopefully equaling them in the pro ranks.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. To paraphrase John Travolta to Uma Thurman in the diner scene from Pulp Fiction, “I don’t know if he’s as good as Troy….but he’s pretty fucking good!”

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  3. First thought; Welp there goes the neighborhood, but honestly was he that good?
    I can completely understand wanting to parlay his season into quick bucks, but being the best in the Pucked 12 is the same as being the best in little league. There’s so much more to prove.
    Again does Helton ever talk these kids out of stupid mistakes? Wait I know the answer he never considered going pro.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hufanga is a first team All-American, Meyer called him one of the top 2 safeties in the country. While I wish he would stay, there is no upside for him to remain at USC, or at least no upside to staying at USC with the current coaching staff.

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    2. I you want an idea of how athletic Talanoa is just take another peek at that interception he made after tipping the ball…and the subsequent run back (which equaled anything Mike Battle ever did on that first hurdle)…..

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Yep, Hufanga has some impressive film. He is about as physically talented as there is at that position. Pass coverage probably could improve, and he could be a bit more disciplined, but he wouldn’t get any better playing another year for the VG (village idiot).

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Michael, there are slight differences in the feedstock for gerbils and hamsters. Clay is a big eater, hence the hamster food. We could even go with the deluxe mix that has extra sunflower seeds.

        Liked by 1 person

      6. 67,
        All your replies have been such models of decency and decorum that I’m ashamed of where I was originally heading with this gerbil thing…

        Liked by 1 person

  4. According to the “Facts & Figures” section of USC’s website, there are 417,000 living alumni. If each of us kick in $50, we can buy Gomer out (with a little left over to use for recruiting a new HC).

    Liked by 3 people

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      1. Nice gesture, 67 —but, for the last 25 years, Owns and I always go in on these USC Gifts & Donations together….
        #Darn!OwnsWantedMeToKeepThatSecret…..

        Liked by 2 people

      4. Already placed the order to make sure it arrives before New Years! This way the chipper can watch some bowl games with a few crullers, including the twisty, cream-filled. And since I ordered under Owns’ name, they made it a bakers’ dozen!

        Liked by 2 people

  5. I’m in.

    TH’s stock ain’t gonna get higher after all the post season accolades. I remember watching him at home against Utah last year; he and Pittman were head and shoulders above everyone else that game. He’s talented but I hope he polishes up some over pursuits and stays injury free for a long successful NFL career. We were lucky to have him.

    Liked by 3 people

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