49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga earns spot on NFL.com’s All-Under-25 Team

NFL Media contributor Nick Shook recently looked at the most promising rising stars in the NFL. While doing so, he compiled a list of the top players under 25 years old, creating a 2023 NFL All-Under-25 Team roster.

Only one San Francisco 49ers player made the cut. That would be third-year safety Talanoa Hufanga, who was named a first-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl last season.

“Hufanga rose from a favorite of tape watchers to a breakout star in 2022, showing the ability to create game-changing takeaways (four interceptions, two forced fumbles) in his first year as a full-time starter,” wrote Shook. “The rest of the NFL took notice of his performance, as he earned a first-team All-Pro nod.”

Hufanga will pair with Tashaun Gipson, a 12th-year veteran, in the defensive backfield. Gipson flirted with the idea of retiring this offseason, so the 49ers planned for the future by drafting his eventual replacement, safety Ji’Ayir Brown.

San Francisco made Hufanga (6-0, 200) a fifth-round selection (No. 180 overall) out of USC in 2021. In addition to the statistics listed above, he recorded 97 tackles, five tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, two sacks, a touchdown, and nine passes defensed through 17 starts last season.

“He is an established star now, but I have one recommendation: Go back and watch each of his games,” Shook continues. “Hufanga plays like a heat-seeking missile. He occasionally runs himself off course, but when he connects with his target, it’s a spectacular sight.”