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Indianapolis Colts EDGE Laiatu Latu.
Laiatu Latu enters his second season with the Indianapolis Colts after a lackluster rookie year, with the former UCLA Bruin recording four sacks and 32 total tackles in Indy with limited snaps.
With a new defensive coordinator coming in, Latu is poised to make the next step in his career.
The Athletic’s James Boyd named the second-year player as a breakout candidate for Indianapolis.
“Latu is tied for being the highest-drafted defensive player during Colts general manager Chris Ballard’s nine-year tenure. Indianapolis selected Latu with the 15th pick last year, and he finished his rookie season with four sacks and three forced fumbles,” Boyd wrote. “This year, Latu is primed to take a step forward after the departure of starting defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who joined the Bears in free agency, and the addition of new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.”
“Anarumo is known for his varying schemes that are designed to bring a lot more pressure than former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s conservative system.”
Latu was third on the team for most sacks and seventh for most sacks by a rookie last season.
Laiatu Latu With New Defensive Coordinator
GettyIndianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo
Lou Anarumo joins the Colts as defensive coordinator after holding the same position with the Cincinnati Bengals.
During his tenure in Cincy, Anarumo helped develop defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who achieved his two highest recorded sack seasons under Anarumo, recording two consecutive 17.5 seasons under Anarumo.
If Anarumo were to develop Latu’s game as he did with Hendrickson, Latu could be ready for a big season.
“You see the God-given athletic ability as soon as you watch him, soon as the tape turns on. Soon as you see him on the field,” Anarumo said of Latu. “Now, it’s just going to be the recognition of how he’s about to get blocked, both in the run game and the pass game… I really like where he’s at. Sky’s the limit for him.”
“He was close [to opposing quarterbacks] many times. And this year, we feel like he’ll seal the deal. Looking forward to it.
Latu mentioned that he wants to shave off the “milliseconds” and get to opposing QBs quicker.
Loaded Defensive End Room
GettyIndianapolis Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam (left)
As mentioned earlier, former Colt Dayo Odeyingbo signed with the Chicago Bears in the offseason, but the team still has plenty of options entering next season.
Samson Ebukam is returning from a torn Achilles injury that kept him out last season. Ebukam led the Colts in sacks with 9.5 during the 2023-24 season, a career high.
Kwity Paye returns for his fifth season at Indy, leading the team with 8 sacks last season.
The Colts drafted JT Tuimoloau out of Ohio State with the 45th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
If Latu were to have a strong training camp, he could find himself receiving a majority of the snaps on either side of the defensive line.
Jason Garcia Jason Garcia is a sports contributor for Heavy Sports who joined the team in 2025, covering the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. He is also covers college basketball for MidMajorBasketball.com. More about Jason Garcia
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