[2] Initially committed to Utah after high school, Tonga flipped to BYU after former Oregon State defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake was named the Cougars' head coach while Tonga was serving his two-year mission.
[4][5] Tonga was praised by draft analysts for his ability to eat up space as a nose tackle, but was expected to be a day three prospect due to his age, short arms, and below-average hand size.
[11] On June 2, 2021, Tonga signed his four-year rookie contract with Chicago.
[14] On October 5, 2022, Tonga was signed by the Minnesota Vikings off the Falcons practice squad.
[16] Before enrolling at BYU, Tonga served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wichita, Kansas.