“ZTF is a monster,” Husky play-by-play announcer said after Washington edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui put another quarterback on their backside.

But that’s so 2020.

In the short 4-game season that year, Tupuloa-Fetui averaged 1.75 sacks per game bringing All-American accolades at the end of the season.

And great expectations heading into the off-season.

Draft hype, preseason All-American, the talk was that the 6-4 270 could be the best pass rusher since a pair of fellow Hawaiians Daniel Teo-Nesheim and Hau’oli Kikaha. In the four games of 2020 was on a pace to obliterate Kikaha’s team-record of 19 sacks. With a full season, what could he do?

Then the injury monster hit.

First, an achilles tear then a concussion. As doubt crept into his mind his productivity went down dramatically.

Also, in 2021, being a known quantity, teams began to track him, accounting for him on every snap. With no consistent threat from the opposite side of where he was lined up, teams were able to nullify him. Through 5 games he recorded just one sack in 2021.

As quickly as he exploded onto the scene he seemed to vanish.

Now he’s also made some of his former self vanish in the hopes of regaining his form–40 pounds of his former self. As spring football begins to wrap up his weight is reported to be 241 pounds, down 39 pounds from his first sophomore season, with the hopes of giving him more mobility and explosiveness.

But the pass rush burden needs to be shared and that’s the importance of Texas A&M transfer, Jeremiah Martin’s emergence this spring.

RealDawg.com’s Roman Tomashoff singled out Martin:
“…got forced out of the pocket by Jeremiah Martin, who got great pressure on Troy Fautanu, who was playing right tackle on the play. Martin displayed an excellent bull rush, and has come a long way since he arrived on campus. After practice, head coach Kalen DeBoer gave Martin a shoutout and highlighted the edge position as a whole as guys who have been “wreaking havoc” for the entirety of spring camp.

If Martin and Tupuola-Fetui can force teams to account for them on each play, sprinkling in an emerging Sav’ell Smalls and budding star Bralen Trice, the pressure on the opposing quarterbacks would help the entire defense. With less time to sit in the pocket, it would also certainly help with breaking in three new defensive backs.