Talented Colts Defender Could Have a Breakout 2025 Season

Defensive end Laiatu Latu had a decent rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts. Will he have a breakout sophomore year?

Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports wrote an article about one player from each AFC team who could make a surprising impact. He marked Latu as the Colts player.

“When it comes to the Colts, the entire summer will be engulfed with the quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones,” Sullivan wrote. “While that certainly warrants the bulk of the attention, Latu entering his second season is another storyline worthy of your attention. Latu was the first defensive player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft and put together a solid rookie season with four sacks and three forced fumbles. That said, there is plenty of room to grow for the former UCLA Bruin, and he could be primed for a breakout sophomore campaign.”

It remains to be seen whether Latu takes a major jump in 2025. But he has what it takes to accomplish that.

Colts’ Laiatu Latu Could Have a Breakout 2025 Season

His Career Thus Far

Laiatu Latu’s college career began with the Washington Huskies in 2019. Entering his sophomore year, he suffered a neck injury during fall practice. The injury would cause him to miss the entire COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Latu underwent neck surgery in March 2021 and was forced to retire from football medically.

It appeared that Latu’s career was over, but fortunately, he was later cleared to play. He wound up entering the transfer portal and transferred to UCLA. He returned to the field in 2022 after missing two seasons of college football. In 2023, Latu produced 49 tackles (21.5 for loss), 13 sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

The Colts drafted Latu 15th overall in 2024. As a rookie last year, he started one of his 17 games. He recorded 32 combined tackles (five for loss), four sacks, 12 QB hits, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup.