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The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed rookie defensive tackle Jay Tufele to his official contract, the club announced today.

Tufele was the Jags fourth-round pick (No. 106 overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft, out of Southern California, the eighth player from USC to be selected by the team in franchise history, joining Jacksonville’s first-ever selection, offensive lineman Tony Boselli.

The Salt Lake City native opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns after his sister was hit hard by the virus. In his previous two years, Tufele recorded 65 tackles (36 solo) with the Trojans, including 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. In 2019, he earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors and won USC Defensive Lineman of the Year for the second consecutive season when he recorded 42 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss. In 2018, Tufele posted 23 tackles and was named to Phil Steele’s All-Pac-12 Second Team.

Head Coach Urban Meyer told reporters after the draft that when he and staff say the DT sitting there available in the fourth round, they knew they had to jump on him. Meyer especially has wanted Tufele on his team for years and recruited him hard out of high school to Ohio State.

“I’m going to break him in half when he gets here for not coming to Ohio State,” Meyer joked at the time. “Jay is great, Jay is from Utah, so obviously I know those people out there as well. I love Jay, I always have. He’s a guy — I think we’re going to get a lot out of him. I know the D-Line Coach Tosh [Lupoi] told that to him. Having someone believe in you has got to be the greatest feeling in the world and Tosh believes in him.”

Lupoi especially campaigned hard for Tufele, believing he can play right away on the unit that Meyer has repeatedly called the backbone of the team.

“I know that our coaches, especially with Tosh, you know he's going to expect me to be that guy and to come in right away and to get right to work,” Tufele told local media after being drafted.

“Being the guy I am, just being very explosive, very nasty and bringing my game and bringing that into the Jacksonville Jaguars. And also, with the young talent we’re bringing in with Tyson [Campbell], who I trained with, and [Andre] Cisco, another [guy] who I trained with, just beasts.

“I know these guys and I know that they're ready and what they're capable of and what we’re going to bring into this organization, in our defense and it's going to be lights out. And we're going to be nasty and we're going to be ready to come on Sunday nights and just show out and be great in that way.”

Tufele is the fourth guy player the Jags 2021 rookie class to be signed, joining Jalen Camp, Jordan Smith, and Luke Farrell. The rookie class still has six players to be signed including No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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