Former Washington Huskies defensive lineman Voi Tunuufi passes away

Some devastating news made its way through the Washington Huskies community on Monday when it was revealed that defensive lineman Voi Tunuufi passed away on Sunday. He was 23 years old.

A former three-star recruit from East High School in Utah, Tunuufi was one of several members of the program to play for three head coaches over his UW career. He began his career in 2021 under Jimmy Lake before spending two years playing for Kalen DeBoer, and opted to stay in Seattle to finish his career for Jedd Fisch in 2024.

Family members have confirmed to the Seattle Times that former Husky defensive lineman Voi Tunuufi died yesterday. He was 23 years old

Tunuufi played in 52 games, making 11 starts during four seasons at UW. He played his final game for the Huskies during last year's Sun Bowl— Andy Yamashita | 山下伸幸 (@ANYamashita) May 4, 2026

Tunuufi played in 52 games during his career, including the Sugar Bowl and national championship during UW's magical 2023 season, and made 14 starts, compiling 86 tackles, 15.5 for loss, with 12.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

The 6-foot-1, 282-pound Tunuufi was known on the field for his unique build, which helped him slide between edge rusher and defensive tackle throughout his career and wreak havoc in the backfield. He even took some snaps at fullback during Washington's upset win of then-No. 10 Michigan in Seattle in 2024.

While he was a furious pass rusher on the field, off of it, Tunuufi was always a joyous person to talk to. He was clearly someone his teammates gravitated towards, and it showed every time he would be asked to speak with the media. He would greet everyone with a fist bump and a smile on his face, ask how they're doing, and always appeared genuinely excited to discuss everything going on within the team.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Former Washington Huskies defensive lineman Voi Tunuufi passes away