UT-San Antonio’s defense has taken a rather significant hit as it heads deeper into the offseason.
UTSA has confirmed that Josiah Tauaefa has decided to forego his senior season and enter the 2019 NFL Draft. “I’d like to thank the University of Texas-San Antonio and everyone that has had a hand in my career here at UTSA as well as all the coaches who have given me an opportunity to compete at the Division I level,” Tauaefa said in a portion of a statement.
Tauaefa’s 113 tackles this season are the second-most in the football program’s history, behind only the 115 he put up in 2016. That latter season, the linebacker became the first Freshman All-American in school history.
In addition to leading the Roadrunners in tackles in 2018, Tauaefa also led the team in tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (4.5) and quarterback hurries (three).
“Josiah certainly developed into one of the best players in UTSA history and that was because of his hard work and dedication to be the best he could be,” head coach Frank Wilson said in his statement. “He was also an outstanding representative of the university off the field in the way he carried himself and contributed to the community. We thank Josiah for all that he did for this program and our university, and we wish him the best of luck as he pursues his professional dream. He’ll always be a Roadrunner for life.”
