49ers: 3 things to expect from rookie Talanoa Hufanga in 2021

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Safety Talanoa Hufanga (15). Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 2: Run-Stopping Ability Will Help 49ers

As previously mentioned, Talanoa Hufanga is great at playing up at the line of scrimmage. He has a nose for the ball and even better than his pass-rushing abilities is his run defense.

He was seen all over the field bringing ball carriers down during his time at USC. That might be where the comparison to Troy Polamalu initially came from. During the 2020 season, he was the game leader in tackles for multiple games.

Against UCLA last December he tallied a whopping game-high 17 tackles.

When Hufanga sets foot on the field in 2021 look for him to execute run blitzes that get him tackles for a loss and give opposing running backs headaches.

Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins was on the reading list that Polamalu gave him during his mentoring sessions, but hopefully, he also gave Hufanga some tips on how to make a well-timed tackle over the top at the goal line.

Those run-stopping efforts sure will be impressive to watch.