Khalil Laufau
Khalil Laufau
Wins his gap play after play. Three head coaches in three seasons, at two different programs. The receipt on tape: 7 tackles against Oregon State, Week 5, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Dana Holgorsen → Willie Fritz. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Willie Fritz
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Houston | 34 | 19 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Washington State | 15 | 7 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Washington State | 12 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 61 | 30 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 8 · 2025
W 31–28
vs Arizona
2 TOT
Edged out Arizona at home in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Houston
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Houston
Returning around him
- 1 Houston player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +2 net (18 in / 16 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Houston · Last season: 10-3 (AP #25) · Talent rank #66 · 2026 recruiting class #38
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Joe Hjelle’s 2025 season.
Matches Joe on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jason Williams's junior season at Central Michigan (2023).
Matches Jason on
Background
As a Junior (2025) Polynesian Player of the Year Watch List Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Midseason All-Texas Second Team Started all 12 games in which he appeared at defensive end One 80+ and three 70+ defense grades One 80+ and six 70+ run defense grades Seven 70+ tackling grades Notched two g...