Vili Taufatofua holds the RDE · Starter spot in Colorado Buffaloes’s edge room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Vili Taufatofua, a 6'3", 260-pound defensive end from Auckland, New Zealand, comes to Colorado as a transfer with two years of eligibility remaining. He began his college career at New Mexico Military Institute in 2022, appearing in all 12 games and recording 81 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 15.5 sacks—tied for the NJCAA Division I lead. After brief stints at Utah (2023–24) and San Jose State (2025), Taufatofua played and started 11 games for the Aztecs during the 2025 season, earning All-Mountain West Honorable Mention and CSC Academic All-District honors. He was rated a three-star transfer prospect and ranked No. 97 overall among edge rushers in the portal.

Utahthrough 2024

San José State2025

Colorado2026 — present