Stevie Tu'ikolovatu will return to Rice-Eccles Stadium in 2016, but it will be in a different uniform.
Tu'ikolovatu, a graduate transfer defensive tackle from Utah, announced Thursday that he will play his final season at USC. Tu'ikolovatu’s fourth game in a USC uniform will be back in Salt Lake City against the Utes on Sept. 23.
[Check out Dr. Saturday on Tumblr for entertaining things you won’t see on the blog]
Tu'ikolovatu had 28 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and four fumble recoveries for the Utes last season, serving on the second unit of one of the nation’s top rush defenses.
The 6-foot-1, 320-pound Tu'ikolovatu appeared in 25 games in his Utah career and will be immediately eligible to suit up for the Trojans, who lost several defensive line contributors – including three starters – from last season. On top of that, expected starter Kenny Bigelow suffered a torn ACL during spring practice and will likely miss a significant portion of the season. With that said, the addition of Tu'ikolovatu is a significant one for the team’s depth.
[Visit Dr. Saturday on Facebook for stories you might have missed and chat with the writers]
Tu'ikolovatu also visited Nebraska and Alabama before choosing USC. The 25-year-old originally joined the Utah team as a walk-on in 2009, when he redshirted. He then served an LDS mission before rejoining the team in 2013 as a scholarship player.
For more USC news, visit TrojanSports.com.
- - - - - - -
Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
