Keleki Latu turned his one season with the Washington Huskies into an NFL opportunity.
The Cal and Nevada transfer signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent on Saturday following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. Latu now joins a Bills depth chart that includes entrenched veterans Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, as well as fifth-rounder Jackson Hawes from Georgia Tech.
While most teams only carry three tight ends on the 53-man roster, a couple of teams will keep a fourth player either on the active roster or practice squad. To crack that rotation in Buffalo, Latu will have to outperform Zach Davidson, a 2021 fifth-round pick who has bounced around the bottom part of NFL rosters.
Latu joins former Huskies Taylor Rapp and Edefuan Ulofoshio in Buffalo. Rapp is expected to start at safety again this season for the Bills, but will face some competition from 2024 second-rounder Cole Bishop. Ulofoshio is a depth linebacker who will contribute on special teams in his second season after being drafted in the fifth round by the Bills last season.
After Quentin Moore’s Week 1 injury, Latu was Washington’s primary tight end in 2024. His combination of size and receiving ability made him a reliable target over the middle for the Huskies. NFL teams also already know his genes carry pro-level athleticism – his brother Laiatu was a first-round pick last season by the Indianapolis Colts.
“I think the biggest thing that [the NFL] loves is his versatility,” tight ends coach Jordan Paopao said of Latu before the draft. “How well he did in pass protection, how well he did in run blocking, how heavy his hands were, and then being able to catch 40 balls in terms of production right now, I think has been really eye-opening in terms of being able to showcase his all-around game.”