Listed measurements: 6-foot-2, 247 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A sophomore, Tuihalamaka has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: Tuihalamaka moved to Vyper defensive end full-time this spring, backing up senior Jordan Botelho.
Recruiting: Tuihalamaka committed to USC before the pandemic curtailed all recruiting, and that pledge held up for nearly a year. Then Notre Dame offered the southern California product a scholarship and he nearly immediately re-opened his recruitment. Yet, the No. 8 inside linebacker in the class and No. 206 overall prospect, per rivals.com, did not commit to the Irish for months, waiting until he could at least visit South Bend.
Once that trip occurred, Tuihalamaka chose Notre Dame instead of Texas, Stanford and Arizona State, while also holding offers from more than half the Pac 12, LSU and Penn State.
CAREER TO DATE
Tuihalamaka played in every game as a freshman, largely on special teams but then particularly on defense in the Gator Bowl with senior defensive end Isaiah Foskey already readying for the NFL draft.
Only six freshmen played enough last season to use up a year of eligibility, and only two scholarship freshmen played in every game. Tuihalamaka did not match cornerback Benjamin Morrison’s freshman All-American season, but he should still be viewed as ahead of most of his class.
2022: 13 games, 1 start; six tackles.
NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS
Still looking for your successor to Troy Polamalu, Head & Shoulders?
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— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 27, 2023
QUOTES
Tuihalamaka practiced at both middle linebacker and Vyper end last season, a hefty workload for anyone let alone a freshman. There was a key reason he could keep up enough to play at his adapted position to close the season.
“Junior is so damn smart,” Irish defensive line coach Al Washington said in mid-April. “He’s really sharp. I’ll be honest, when he was playing linebacker, he was damn good.
“He can see it, feel it. He’s instinctual beyond his years. That element has been awesome. He’s a guy on the grass that can solve problems.
“And he’s tough. Obviously talented, he’s taken off. He’s progressing really nice, and I have a high level of faith in him, trust in him. So in terms of him knowing what’s going on and willing to fight in tough moments, I’m excited about him.”
RELATED READING: Tuihalamaka open to different paths to success at Notre Dame
WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“Tuihalamaka’s early enrollment paid more dividends than it does for most, allowing him to take a bounty of second-string snaps at middle linebacker behind (Bo) Bauer while (JD) Bertrand recovered from a wrist injury. And Tuihalamaka impressed in those opportunities.
“Just not enough to suggest he will leapfrog either of the veterans.
“Instead, Tuihalamaka will likely find a situational role on defense, lessening Bauer’s and Bertrand’s workload while also allowing him to focus on one niche skill. It could be blitzing or perhaps dropping into coverage on a running back. Former Irish linebacker Shayne Simon first shined in a goal-line package alone. Whatever it is, Tuihalamaka made it clear this spring, he has the physicality and speed to handle it.
“Along with that, expect Tuihalamaka to cover just about every single Notre Dame kickoff this season. That alone could net him 8-10 tackles.”
Warriors of the Week
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) February 13, 2023
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2023 OUTLOOK
Tuihalamaka flashed all spring and capped the Blue-Gold Game with a sack, sparking an abundance of hype. If he spends much time early in preseason practices impressing, then that hype may get out of hand, a tapping of the brakes for one distinct reason.
“A year ago, he was in the linebacker room,” Washington said. “I don’t think he came to [the defensive line] until summer, late summer (of 2022). Really, it was double duty during the year.
“Now it’s all Vyper. That’s helped him.”
In other words, this has been a quick rise for Tuihalamaka from working as the third-string middle linebacker to now working as the backup at a crucial position for the Irish defense. His learning curve could be as steep as the steeple atop the Basilica at Notre Dame and Tuihalamaka would still reach Dublin with plenty to learn this August.
Nonetheless, Tuihalamaka may be called upon for 200 snaps this fall. The Irish would like to think he could make a tackle on at least five percent of them, so that’s 10 tackles. Add in special-team duties and Tuihalamaka should log a minimum of 16 tackles this season.
Then the question will be, how many of those tackles will be for a loss? If at least a few, then Notre Dame’s defensive line may have enough bite to spark some chaos.
DOWN THE ROAD
Tuihalamaka getting up to 247 pounds after weighing at 229 pounds last summer is a clear sign he will remain at Vyper into the future. Senior Botelho may have the natural talent to impress the NFL this season, but he has never showcased it anywhere near regularly at Notre Dame.
If Botelho changes that in 2023, then Tuihalamaka’s primary task this spring will be keeping classmate Josh Burnham at bay in a competition to start in 2024. If Botelho returns, then the trio will provide a defensive-line presence that may spur national buzz next summer.
That thought has popped up a bit lately, realizing only one defensive lineman will be out of eligibility after this season, Ohio State graduate transfer Javontae Jean-Baptiste. The Irish have a bounty of talent up front, though no clear star. Another 12 months from now, that measured sentence could become “a bounty of experienced talent up front,” and in that version, the lack of a clear star would be less worrisome. For that matter, one could develop in the interim.
NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 93 Armel Mukam, incoming freshman defensive end, former Stanford commit
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U’
No. 87 Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year ...
No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star recruit
No. 76 Joe Alt, first-team All-American left tackle
No. 75 Sullivan Absher, incoming freshman offensive lineman
No. 74 Billy Schrauth, sophomore left guard, likely starter
No. 73 Andrew Kristofic, fifth-year right guard, likely starter
No. 72 Sam Pendelton, early-enrolled freshman offensive lineman
No. 70 Ashton Craig, sophomore interior offensive lineman
No. 68 Michael Carmody, senior offensive lineman
No. 65 Michael Vinson, sixth-year long snapper, four-year starter
No. 64 Joe Otting, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 59 Aamil Wagner, sophomore offensive tackle
No. 56 Charles Jagusah, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 56 Howard Cross, fifth-year defensive tackle, multi-year starter
No. 55 Chris Terek, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 54 Blake Fisher, junior right tackle, second-year starter
No. 52 Zeke Correll, fifth-year center, third-year starter
No. 51 Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 50 Rocco Spindler, junior offensive guard
No. 47 Jason Onye, junior defensive tackle on the verge of playing time
No. 17 Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 13 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 12 Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience
No. 4 Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth