Defensive end Laiatu Latu had a decent rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts. Will he have a breakout sophomore year?
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports wrote an article about one player from each AFC team who could make a surprising impact. He marked Latu as the Colts player.
“When it comes to the Colts, the entire summer will be engulfed with the quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones,” Sullivan wrote. “While that certainly warrants the bulk of the attention, Latu entering his second season is another storyline worthy of your attention. Latu was the first defensive player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft and put together a solid rookie season with four sacks and three forced fumbles. That said, there is plenty of room to grow for the former UCLA Bruin, and he could be primed for a breakout sophomore campaign.”
It remains to be seen whether Latu takes a major jump in 2025. But he has what it takes to accomplish that.
Colts’ Laiatu Latu Could Have a Breakout 2025 Season
His Career Thus Far
Laiatu Latu’s college career began with the Washington Huskies in 2019. Entering his sophomore year, he suffered a neck injury during fall practice. The injury would cause him to miss the entire COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Latu underwent neck surgery in March 2021 and was forced to retire from football medically.
It appeared that Latu’s career was over, but fortunately, he was later cleared to play. He wound up entering the transfer portal and transferred to UCLA. He returned to the field in 2022 after missing two seasons of college football. In 2023, Latu produced 49 tackles (21.5 for loss), 13 sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
The Colts drafted Latu 15th overall in 2024. As a rookie last year, he started one of his 17 games. He recorded 32 combined tackles (five for loss), four sacks, 12 QB hits, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup.
The Colts Need Laiatu Latu to Step Up
In 2023, the Colts set an Indianapolis-era record with 51 sacks. They ranked in the top five in the NFL. However, that number fell to just 36 sacks (tied for 25th) last season due to injury.
Needless to say, the Colts must improve their pass rush in 2025. They haven’t made many major changes in that department this offseason. They did select J.T. Tuimoloau in the second round of the draft. However, he might not be a big-time contributor right away.
There have been rumors about the Colts trading for star Trey Hendrickson. That makes sense, seeing that Indianapolis hired Lou Anarumo as their new defensive coordinator this offseason. Anarumo coached Hendrickson for several years with the Cincinnati Bengals. Who knows if Hendrickson will end up in Indianapolis or not?
The Colts need Latu to step up, no matter what. The team lost fellow edge-rusher Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency. Plus, it’s unclear if Samson Ebukam can play well after missing a year due to injury.
Latu doesn’t have to be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. But reaching the double-digit sack mark in 2025 will help a lot. The potential is certainly there.
Main Photo: [Marc Lybryk] – USA Today Sports
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