Sophomore safety Talanoa Hufanga isn’t practicing quite like he did before twice breaking his collarbone in a five-month span. He’s better.
Hufanga has been one of USC’s stars through nearly two weeks of training camp, combining high football IQ with elite playmaking skills. It’s added up to three interceptions, a handful of pass breakups and a strong presence in the run game.
“He’s been very impulsive. He’s got very good instincts. He catches the ball well,” defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast said. “And I like that he’s taken some chances because those are the kinds of guys in my experience that are going to have an opportunity to make plays and are going to take some calculated guesses. And they’re going to be right most of the time.”
The ever humble Hufanga is quick to point out that he can learn from anyone, including any one of the young defensive backs in his meeting room. But the trio he’s absorbed the most from this summer is his DC, DBs coach Greg Burns and former USC All-American Taylor Mays. Hufanga and Mays spent about 30 minutes after Wednesday’s practice discussing different keys to read on offense, from not only the quarterback but the offensive line.
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“So far, so good,” is how Hufanga modestly characterized his encounters with the recently retired safety.
