Washington Huskies offensive tackle Troy Fautanu is among the most elite prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Fautanu is expected to be drafted somewhere in the 10-15 overall range. Fautanu has checked every box throughout the process, including displaying rare athleticism at the NFL Combine.
Fautanu recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about his training regimen with the Excel Sports Performance team, practicing with Joe Staley, helping reset the culture at Washington en route to a National Championship appearance, which NFL teams are showing interest in his services, and so much more.
JM: You've been training with the Excel Sports performance team, Curt Truhe and Sazi Guthrie in Irvine, California throughout this process. How have they made you a better athlete?
Troy Fautanu: The biggest thing going into these few months of pre-draft preparation was just trusting their process. Everything we did was so specific to the NFL Combine and Pro Day circuit.
With me typically being a college athlete at this time of the year, I was so used to position drills and working out super hard in the weight room. I had to trust their process because they’ve been through this so often.
That was probably the biggest thing for me. Ultimately everything we did up until the NFL Combine and after it, it helped me perform well athletically. I went out there and displayed elite athleticism as a result.
Curt and Sazi are the best in the business. They’re partially why I chose to sign with Excel. It was nice to have everything connected in one building. It was super important for me. Curt was the weight room guy, and Sazi was our speed-based trainer.
They’re the best duo out here. I’m truly thankful for them and everything they poured into me throughout this process. I’m thankful they molded me into what I was going into the NFL Combine.
JM: What an outstanding performance you put forth at the NFL Combine as a result of that training. You ran an elite 5.01 40 with a 1.70 10-yard split. You also had a 32.5-inch vertical and 9-foot-5 broad jump. How would you grade your overall performance?
Troy Fautanu: To be honest with you, I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but I was a little upset that I didn’t reach my goal of running a 40 in the 4.9s (laughs). I mean, us offensive linemen obviously aren’t drafted based on the 40, but it was a fun personal goal of mine.
I’d been watching the NFL Combine for years. Watching the guys that came before me, seeing them on television nowadays, seeing their numbers in the 40, you want to stack up with the best of the best. It was a fun goal of mine.
At the same time, I was thankful that I went out there and came out healthy. I put my best foot forward. I would probably grade my performance a “B-minus” or something along that range.
The on-field stuff was super exciting. I think that’s where I especially put my best foot forward. I displayed some athleticism out there. I would grade that portion of it a little higher. That’s probably what got us into the “B” range (laughs). If it wasn’t for that, I may have given myself a “C.” That’s my personal take.
JM: You’re your own harshest critic. I personally thought your elite athleticism took center stage. Do you feel like your athletic profile makes you a great fit for a zone-blocking scheme at the next level? Or are you more of a gap/power guy?
Troy Fautanu: I have experience with both systems. I played in three different offenses throughout my time at The University of Washington. I can fit into any offense.That zone-blocking scheme is something I especially feel like I can execute at a very high level. We did a bunch of that at Washington. We were really big on that inside / outside zone. We also ran power as well. I’m very comfortable in that world, too.
Credit to the coaching staff at Washington. They exposed me to those different offenses. I feel like I can fit into any offense. That’s the honest truth.
JM: I’ll ask you this then. What was your favorite play to run in the playbook and why?
Troy Fautanu: I would say our counter play. We called it “Cali Corona.” Should I be talking about the playbook? (laughs). It was probably our counter play. When I was on the front side of that play, I was able to get down and dirty while double-teaming a 3-tech or a linebacker.
If I was on the back side and I was pulling on counter, that’s where I excelled and showcased my athletic ability in space. You get both sides of the spectrum with that play. You’re able to move a guy from Point A to Point B. You can also get out in space and latch onto guys.
I feel like that counter play led to a lot of season-best reps for me, some highlights if you will, or “knockouts,” which is what we called them at Washington. Counter was my favorite play to run in the playbook.
JM: We love that. You’ve also done some position work with Joe Staley throughout this pre-draft process. What an amazing resource to have at your disposal. What tips and tricks have you picked up from him along the way?
Troy Fautanu: The biggest thing has probably been the outside zone stuff. He’s helped me a lot with my mentality in the run game. That’s something I’ve been pulling from Joe Staley. We worked on a lot of the stuff I had been struggling with when it came to outside zone.
Joe Staley has taught me some amazing stuff when it comes to run-game mentality. I’ve learned more about his mindset than anything else. He played at the highest level for such a long time in this league.
Learning about what he did to prepare himself to go into season after season, that’s probably been the most valuable lesson. Learning from him has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m just super thankful that he’s sharing all of that knowledge with me.
Joe Staley’s presence was another big reason why I signed with Excel Sports. Learning from him has been the most amazing resource at my disposal. That run game stuff has been amazing. I appreciate his mentality and overall approach to the game.
JM: I love that. You redshirted in 2019 and 2020 was a shortened season. The program went 4-8 in 2021. Everything changed under Kalen DeBoer in 2022, your first year as a starter. The program advanced to the National Championship in 2023. How did you see the culture change throughout your time? You played a role in the positive changes.
Troy Fautanu: It was never about me. I certainly didn’t do anything alone. I’ll say this. Those 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes were super important to changing the culture at Washington. We set the tone. We set a standard for how we wanted things to run.
It reminded me of how coach Peterson ran the program in 2019. We wanted to get back to that after what was two down seasons in 2020 and 2021, or one down year. We wanted to get back to leaning on each other, especially in hard times.
That’s what uplifted us throughout 2022 when coach DeBoer came in. His philosophy was similar to coach Peterson in a way. He wasn’t just blowing smoke either. Coach DeBoer was living the lifestyle he wanted us to live.
It was easy to buy into coach DeBoer’s culture and how he ran things. We eventually qualified for the National Championship, the biggest game on the college football calendar. I really believe that it all started in our locker room through the bond we built together.
We got really close. At the end of the day, if you can’t trust a guy off the field, it’s going to be impossible to trust him on the field. I’m extremely thankful that I was a part of that culture. I’m glad the younger players got to learn from our culture. They have to run with the program now.
I stayed true to myself the entire time. I showed up every day ready to work. At the same time, I never did anything I wasn’t comfortable with. The biggest thing I learned was to never be somebody different. Be yourself.
JM: I love that. That’s why you’re one of the best prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. You’ve been busy on these pre-draft 30 visits. I’ve seen a bunch of them on social media. How are those going for you?
Troy Fautanu: The most recent one, I just met with the Dallas Cowboys this morning before our phone call [4/12]. I’ve been on a few visits. I was in Cincinnati and Baltimore. I came back from Jacksonville the other day. I’m headed out on the road Monday through Wednesday [April 15-18] to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and the Jets.
It’s been a busy process. I’m super thankful for the opportunity to expose my talents to these coaches. I’ve probably met with all 32 teams through my visits, Zoom meetings, or at the NFL Combine. I met with the Buccaneers and Rams on Zoom recently. I’ve been so busy. I’m so thankful.
I realize how fortunate I am to be in this situation. I’m ready to get the ball rolling. I can’t wait to find out where I’m going next week (laughs). I can’t wait to get my life started. I’ll be focused on what’s truly important throughout this process, and that’s getting back to playing football.
JM: There’s lots of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. There was some early pre-draft chatter of you potentially playing guard at the next level. That's been proven wrong in my opinion. You played tackle at Washington and have the arm length necessary (34.5 inches) to continue playing tackle. Do you feel like you’re a tackle? What are teams telling you?
Troy Fautanu: I think I’m a tackle. Grouping me in a category with the guards because of how tall I am, I honestly feel like it was a lazy narrative that grew legs for some reason. That’s lazy analysis.
Just watch the tape. I played tackle at a high level. Props to my coaches and my teammates that helped get me to that level. I truly feel like I played the tackle position at a legitimately high level. We made it to the biggest game in college football. I feel like I put my best foot forward against the best opponents throughout the entire season.
At the end of the day, my mindset has always been to do whatever’s necessary to get on the field though. I want to play. I can’t make my biggest impact if I’m not on the field. For me, I’ll play wherever at this level.
I’m willing to play guard or center if that’s what it takes. I took snaps as a center at pro day. I had never done it before. I picked it up pretty quickly. I’m comfortable playing anywhere. My easy answer would be to continue playing tackle. That’s where I’ve played the last three or four years.
I just want to contribute in any way possible to a winning culture. I want to be a part of a winning organization. At the end of the day, that’s what’s most important. I’m open to anything. I’ve heard the guard, tackle, and center discussion on social media.
At the end of the day, I’m an offensive lineman. I truly feel like my versatility will bring value to the organization.
JM: I love that. We've appreciated your time today. I feel like this conversation has highlighted why you’re one of the best tackle prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. What kind of impact is Troy Fautanu going to make at the next level?
Troy Fautanu: I’m an extremely competitive person. I’m going to come in and compete from the very first day. Whether that’s at guard, tackle, or center remains to be seen. I’m the ultimate competitor.
I’m somebody that can fit into any type of locker room. I truly say that with the utmost confidence. Everyone that was in our Washington locker room would agree. I’m going to work my tail off to try and contribute to our success.
You’re getting a guy that loves the game of football. I’m truly going to put my best foot forward.
