Jonah Laulu Bio
Jonah Laulu (born June 30, 2000) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing approximately 290 pounds, he plays on the interior of the defensive line. Laulu entered the NFL in 2024 after a college career split between the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the Oklahoma Sooners.
Early Life and Background
Jonah Laulu was born on June 30, 2000, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He grew up in the Las Vegas area and attended Centennial High School, where he developed into a college-level defensive lineman. His size and physical profile, standing roughly 6-foot-5 and weighing near 290 pounds, gave him the frame that college recruiters looked for on the defensive front.
Coming out of Centennial High School, Laulu drew interest from college programs and committed to play at the University of Hawaii. The move allowed him to begin his college career close to his hometown, while also taking advantage of a program that gave young defensive linemen a chance to develop on the practice field during their first year.
Path to American Football
Laulu began his college career with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in 2018. As a freshman, he spent the season on the school’s scout team, where he earned the scout team defensive MVP award at the end of the year. That recognition marked his first notable step toward a future on the defensive line.
Over the following seasons at Hawaii, Laulu worked his way into a larger role. By 2021, he had become a key contributor, finishing the year with 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks. After that productive season, he transferred to the University of Oklahoma to play for the Oklahoma Sooners, joining one of the strongest defensive line traditions in college football.
At Oklahoma, Laulu continued to develop as a defensive lineman. In his first season with the Sooners, he recorded 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. Before the 2023 season, he moved to the defensive tackle position, and in his final collegiate year he made three starts while posting 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack. His play at Oklahoma helped position him for a chance at the next level.
Jonah Laulu Career
Early Career (2018–2023)
Jonah Laulu’s early career was built during his time at the University of Hawaii, where he grew from a scout team player into a starting-level defensive lineman. His 2021 season with the Rainbow Warriors, in which he produced 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks, established him as a legitimate Big West Conference defender and drew attention from Power Five programs.
His development continued at the University of Oklahoma, where he transitioned into a Big 12 Conference defensive lineman. Across his time with the Sooners, he added 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and an interception in his first season, before moving to defensive tackle and starting three games in his final year. By the end of his college career, Laulu had built the resume needed to enter the NFL draft.
NFL Breakthrough (2024)
Jonah Laulu entered the 2024 NFL draft after his final season at Oklahoma. He was selected in the seventh round with the 234th overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts. The selection gave him an opportunity to compete for a roster spot on the defensive line of an AFC South franchise.
His time with the Colts was brief. On August 27, 2024, the Indianapolis Colts waived Laulu, ending his initial NFL stint just before the regular season began. Less than a day later, on August 28, 2024, he was claimed off waivers by the Las Vegas Raiders, giving him a quick second chance to earn a roster spot on an AFC West team.
Las Vegas Raiders Era (2024–Present)
With the Las Vegas Raiders, Laulu joined a defensive line rotation that was in need of young, physical interior players. Claiming him off waivers allowed the Raiders to add a 6-foot-5 defensive tackle who had already shown positional flexibility after switching from defensive end at Hawaii to defensive tackle at Oklahoma. The move gave Laulu an opportunity to continue his development at the NFL level.
Since joining the Raiders, Laulu has remained part of the team’s defensive line group, working to carve out a role in the rotation. His combination of size, length, and recent college production at Oklahoma made him a developmental project worth claiming, and his early tenure with the franchise has been focused on adjusting to the speed and complexity of the professional game.
Driving Style and Strengths
As a defensive tackle, Laulu brings a tall, long frame that allows him to play with leverage and length against offensive linemen. His college production at both Hawaii and Oklahoma showed the ability to disrupt plays in the backfield, accumulating tackles for loss and sacks at the college level. His positional background as both an edge rusher and an interior lineman has given him a versatile foundation for his professional transition.
Notable Events and Milestones
Jonah Laulu’s most notable milestone came when he was drafted 234th overall in the 2024 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Being claimed off waivers by the Las Vegas Raiders the day after being released by Indianapolis marked another significant moment early in his professional career, as it secured his place on an NFL roster to begin the 2024 season.
Jonah Laulu Career Wins
Verified career statistics for Jonah Laulu are limited to his college production at Hawaii and Oklahoma, along with his draft and waiver status in the NFL. Across his time at the University of Hawaii, he recorded 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks in 2021. At the University of Oklahoma, he added 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and an interception in his first season, followed by 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack in his final year.
Jonah Laulu Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Publicly verified details about Jonah Laulu’s family background and any extended athletic lineage are not available from the reviewed sources. Information about his parents and upbringing beyond his Las Vegas roots has not been confirmed.
Personal Life
Jonah Laulu is single and does not have publicly verified information about a spouse or children. His social media presence, including a presence on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram under his own name, offers a personal channel for fans, but his private life beyond football has not been publicly detailed.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Jonah Laulu enters his second professional year with the Las Vegas Raiders after spending his rookie season working to establish himself as an interior defensive lineman. His path from a seventh-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts to a waiver claim by the Raiders showed he could quickly adjust to roster turnover, and the 2025 season will be his first full offseason with the organization.
For the Raiders, Laulu represents a developmental defensive tackle prospect whose college production at Hawaii and Oklahoma suggested pass-rush upside on the interior. His ability to play across multiple defensive line spots, having lined up at defensive end for the Rainbow Warriors before moving to defensive tackle at Oklahoma, gives the Raiders flexibility in how they deploy him along the defensive front.
The outlook for Laulu in 2025 centers on whether he can earn a consistent role in the Raiders’ defensive line rotation and contribute meaningful snaps. With a full training camp and preseason in Las Vegas, he will have the opportunity to build on his brief 2024 experience and turn his college pass-rush production into regular-season impact at the NFL level.