Latu beat out Notre Dame offensive linemen Joe Alt, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and Utah defensive end Jonah Ellis.
UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu was named the winner of the Lombardi Award Wednesday night in Houston.
The award is presented to the sport’s most “outstanding college lineman.” Latu beat out Notre Dame offensive linemen Joe Alt, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and Utah defensive end Jonah Ellis.
Latu had 13 sacks for UCLA this season, which ranks him third on the university’s all-time list for a single season, tied with Carnell Lake (1987). Outside linebacker Anthony Barr (13½ in 2012) and defensive end Dave Ball (16½ in 2003) are the only Bruins ahead of them.
He finished the regular season with 49 total tackles (21½ TFL), two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound senior played in all 12 regular season games but has yet to announce publicly if he will play in the LA Bowl against Boise State on Dec. 16 at SoFi Stadium.
Latu is projected as a first-round pick for the 2024 NFL Draft in April and was named the Pac-12 Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday.
He’s also a finalist for the Bednarik Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy Award and the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award.
Latu won college football’s Comeback Player of the Year award last season, returning to the field after he medically retired due to a neck injury and transferred from Washington.
