AJ Tuitele brings downhill pop, but his USC path is already moving
In the 2025 season, AJ Tuitele appeared in three games for USC and recorded one tackle, a small sample that fits a true freshman still carving out his role. He entered college with a strong résumé: at Mojave HS in 2024 he piled up 196 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles, showing the sideline-to-sideline range and finish USC wanted. The differentiator is urgency—he plays like a hitter, not a spectator—but the transfer move to Cal suggests his long-term fit is now elsewhere, not in cardinal and gold.
