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    • Even as his team stagnates, Keleki Latu thrives as UW tight end
    patheur

    Even as his team stagnates, Keleki Latu thrives as UW tight end

    Sakege Posted on

    Riding a two-game losing streak following a decisive 31-17 setback at Indiana, the University of Washington football team may not seem to be making much progress lately. However, tight end Keleki Latu goes against that argument.

    In UW’s latest foray into Big Ten territory, the Nevada transfer and brother of a former Husky running back came up with one of the most telling plays of the season: Late in the fourth quarter, Latu made a tough catch surrounded by a large number of defenders 20 yards downfield, he immediately took a hard hit from two would-be tacklers on each side, somehow kept his feet and continued running determinedly for another 16 yards before two more Hoosiers finally caught him. They were downed at the 10-yard line. The reception was the longest of the season.

    “I feel like running after the catch is what I’ve improved the most,” Latu said in an understatement.

    The 6-foot-7, 244-pound Latu is a guy who came to the University of Washington among a large contingent of transfers and has improved tremendously in his final season of college football, which was the plan all along.

    While he was initially intended to be senior Quentin Moore’s backup, Latu saw his teammate suffer a serious knee injury just two quarters into the season and had to step up as an immediate replacement, especially with Moore still around. unable to return after missing seven consecutive games with no end in sight to his absence.

    It hasn’t all been perfectly easy for Latu, who was up front with right tackle Drew Azzopardi when the Huskies tried to win the Apple Cup on a late fourth-and-1 option at the goal line, and those two failed. The leading blocks and Washington State ended up winning 24-19.

    Tight end Keleki Latu makes a reception against Northwestern.

    Tight end Keleki Latu makes a reception against Northwestern. / Visual Images by Skylar Lin

    He now appears to be much more competent in the run game. His receiving has also steadily progressed, with Latu up to 28 receptions for 265 yards while searching for his first Husky touchdown catch. He has nearly doubled his reception total compared to each of his previous three seasons in Nevada and California before that.

    He has accomplished what he set out to do by coming to the University of Washington, which was to learn the position at a place that has a history of putting many tight ends in the pros.

    “Definitely in the run and pass game, to be able to be used as a versatile tight end,” he said of his reason for joining the Huskies.

    His brother, Laiatu, went from being a UW pass rusher who had to medically retire to playing again at UCLA at a high level and becoming a first-round pick for the Indianapolis Colts, and Keleki would like to follow him to the NFL.

    “My goal is to be able to play with or against my brother,” he said.

    With more plays like the one he made in Indiana, his chances of reuniting with Latu in pro football somewhere increase noticeably each time.

    For the latest UW football and basketball news, visit si.com/college/washington

    Sakege
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