Tag: Polynesian Bowl

Mater Dei 4-star linebacker Leviticus Su’a commits to Arizona

The Arizona Wildcats scored a major recruiting win on Friday night.

The Arizona Wildcats scored a major recruiting win on Friday night when Mater Dei (Calif.) linebcker Leviticus Su’a announced his commitment in the first quarter of the Polynesian Bowl.

Su’a (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) is ranked No. 31 among linebackers in his class and No. 29 overall in the state of California. Among uncommitted players at his position, he was ranked second.

Su’a had offers from 15 other schools, with Stanford and UCLA considered to be the other top contenders.

Having played for national powerhouse Mater Dei, Su’a is no stranger to big games, and a short time after announcing his commitment, he made a clutch play, clinching a win for Team Mauka with a tackle on fourth down.

Su’a is the 23rd commit for Arizona’s 2023 recruiting class, which now ranks No. 44 in the country.

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Nico Iamaleava wins MVP honors in 2023 Polynesian Bowl

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava wins MVP honors in the 2023 Polynesian Bowl.

The Polynesian Bowl took place Friday at Kūnuiākea Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Tennessee freshman early enrollee quarterback Nico Iamaleava Jr. earned offensive most valuable player of the game honors.

Iamaleava Jr. and Team Mauka defeated Team Makai, 22-17.

He completed 13-of-20 passing attempts for 186 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while recording 63 rushing yards on five attempts.

Iamaleava Jr. announced his commitment to Tennessee on March 21, 2022.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound quarterback played at Warren High School in Downey, California. in 2021. He transferred to Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, in 2022.

Iamaleava Jr. enrolled early at Tennessee and took part in the Vols’ Orange Bowl practices. 

PHOTOS: Nico Iamaleava Jr. playing 7 on 7 at Farragut High School

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Most important players for Duck fans to watch at Polynesian Bowl on Saturday

A long list of the top prospects in the 2023 class are playing at the Polynesian Bowl on Friday, headlined by Oregon’s 5-star Matayo Uiagalelei.

As we continue to hurtle toward the end of the 2023 recruiting cycle, the last major high school showcase will be taking place this weekend in Hawaii.

The Polynesian Bowl will take place on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. PT and be broadcast on NFL Network. Some of the top athletes in the 2023 class will play in the game, including eight 5-star players and a total of six Oregon Ducks.

While it will be fun for Oregon fans to tune in and check out their next class of players coming to Eugene, there are also a ton of other guys that the Ducks should be interested in keeping an eye on, for numerous reasons. Maybe it’s a 5-star who strongly considered signing with Oregon and could be a player in the transfer portal down the road, should they reconsider their options. Maybe it’s a highly-touted player who signed with another Pac-12 school and could be going up against the Ducks a few times in the coming years.

No matter the reasoning, the Poly Bowl will be a fun spectacle with college football’s next-best players on display. Here are some guys to keep an eye on as an Oregon fan.

How to Watch Info

When: Friday, Jan. 20, 4 p.m. PT
Channel: NFL Network

This blue-chip Gators commit to play in prestigious Polynesian Bowl

This soon-to-be Gator is heading out to Hawaii for bowl season.

Bowl season is just on the horizon. While the college football ranks are wrapping up their regular season schedules and preparing for their postseason aspirations, members of the high school ranks are also getting set for their winter showcases.

Among those is the Polynesian Bowl, for which four-star Florida football recruit [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] accepted an invitation to play on Monday. The game, which spawned from the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in 2017, showcases some of the top senior prep prospects in the nation at Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Hawaii.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound safety out of Tampa (Florida) Wharton is pretty amped about the opportunity, according to Swamp247.

“I’m excited. It’s pretty far away. So, I’m just excited to go out there and show what I can do while also trying to have some fun on the trip,” the stand-out defensive back offered. “I can’t wait to meet some of the other guys out there. I’m just excited to be a part of the game.”

Johnson is ranked No. 97 overall and No. 7 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 101 and 11, respectively.

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Four Notre Dame commits to play in Polynesian Bowl

Want to watch the future of the football program?

Want to catch a glimpse at some of the Notre Dame stars of tomorrow? Was the All-American Bowl not enough for you? You’re in luck if you’re able to stay up late. The Polynesian Bowl will be played at 11:30 p.m. EST Saturday on the CBS Sports Network, and four recruits who have committed to Notre Dame are on the roster.

The four players to look out for are as follows:

  • Receiver Tobias Merriweather of Camas, Washington
  • Tight end Holden Staes of Atlanta
  • Linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka of Mission Hills, California
  • Offensive tackle Aamil Wagner of Dayton, Ohio

Notre Dame commits who previously have played in this game include Chris Tyree, Marist Liufau, Jayson Ademilola, Braden Lenzy and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. While making this game obviously is not a reflection of how they’ll play in college, it does make people excited about what the future of the program could be. If you’re curious about that or you simply want to watch more football, this is the game to tune into.

Texas OL signee Malik Agbo to play in 2022 Polynesian Bowl

Texas signee Malik Agbo selected to prestigious Polynesian Bowl.

Another Texas signee will have a chance to partake in an All-American game to face off against the nation’s best before moving up to the next level.

Four-star offensive lineman Malik Agbo, was selected to play in the 2022 Polynesian Bowl. 247Sports national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman, who is on the selection committee of the game, announced on Wednesday that Agbo was the latest addition to the absolutely loaded lineup of players.

Agbo will join players such as Jackson State commit Travis Hunter, USC commit Domani Jackson, and uncommitted five-star Harold Perkins among many other talented players as a participant.

In an interview with 247Sports, Agbo expressed his excitement for the game and what it means to him.

“It really means a lot,” said Agbo. “This is something I really look forward to, especially seeing guys from years past be part of something special like this.”

“It’s really big for me to be an all-American, especially being from Federal Way, and my high school Todd Beamer, where talent is very little, so I think it’s really cool for me and everyone that I’m close with too.”

The game is held in Honolulu, Hawaii, and will take place on Jan. 22.

Four Ducks are on the Polynesian Player of the Year watch list

Popo Aumavae, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Mase Funa, and Noah Sewell are all on the watch list for the 2021 Polynesian Player of the Year.

Marcus Mariota and Penei Sewell may have to move over.

Four Oregon football players, Popo Aumavae, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Mase Funa, and Noah Sewell have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2021 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced on Thursday.

The 2021 list is composed of 63 players from 31 different FBS schools. Oregon is one of six schools with at least four players on the watch list.

Oregon has a rich history with the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. Mariota, who also won the Heisman Trophy, was the inaugural recipient in 2014. Offensive lineman Penei Sewell took home the honor in 2019. Oregon is the only program to have had multiple players win the award as the Ducks are looking to make it three.

Five finalists will be unveiled on Nov. 30 with the winner being announced Dec. 14. The presentation of the award will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Celebration Dinner Jan. 21, 2022 and they will also be recognized at halftime of the Polynesian Bowl the very next day.

Among the four Ducks named, it’s likely Noah Sewell has the best chance to claim the award. The super freshman linebacker was the 2020 Coaches Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and was one of two true freshmen and the only among the Power 5 conferences to lead his team in tackles (45) in 2020.

The other three Ducks, Aumavae, Aumavae-Laulu, and Funa will all play major roles in defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s defense and are all expected to have great seasons.

Michigan football commit joins Polynesian Bowl roster

The under the radar #Michigan commit will have a chance to impress on the national stage. #GoBlue

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While much of the attention when it comes to post-high school, pre-college all-star games goes to either the All-American Bowl or the Under Armour All-America game, the Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii pulls some pretty big players in its own right.

In 2022, some big names such as Gavin Sawchuk and Josh Conerly Jr. are already committed to participate in the Polynesian Bowl, and now a Michigan football commit has joined the fray.

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While he’s a somewhat under the radar recruit, California native, linebacker Kevonte Henry has committed to playing the prestigious all-star outing, joining the likes of players such as J.J. McCarthy, Roman Wilson, Jordan Morant, A.J. Henning and others who have participated in the game.

The game coincides with the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame induction and will take place on Jan. 22, 2022. It will be televised on CBS Sports.

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Texas commit Maalik Murphy selected as a 2022 Polynesian Bowl All-Star

Five-star quarterback and Texas commit Maalik Murphy has been selected as a 2022 Polynesian Bowl All-Star.

By this time next year, the No. 2 ranked quarterback in the nation is going to be a part of the Texas Longhorns football program. First, he plans to make some noise in Honolulu, HI.

Five-star quarterback and Texas commit Maalik Murphy has been invited to the inaugural Polynesian Bowl in 2022. The official Twitter account of the Polynesian Bowl announced the news on Tuesday.

The 2021 Polynesian Bowl was not played as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This year, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame has decided to bring it back with the hopes that the game can continue.

The most recent Longhorns to participate in the game were running back Bijan Robinson and linebacker Prince Dorbah, both of whom played for Texas as true freshmen last season.

As of right now, Murphy is the only Texas commit to be a part of the game, but that could change as more 2022 recruiting targets begin to announce their playing commitments in the coming months.

4-star OLB Xavian Sorey includes Georgia football in top 5

2021 4-star outside linebacker Xavian Sorey took to Twitter Friday to announce his top-5 schools. Full list and details here.

2021 4-star outside linebacker Xavian Sorey took to Twitter Friday to announce his top-5 schools. The list includes Auburn, Alabama, Florida, LSU and Georgia.

Sorey (6-foot-3, 214 pounds) plays football and basketball at Graceville High School in Graceville, Florida, and holds 20+ scholarship offers.

Sorey is rated as the No. 5 outside linebacker, the No. 11 prospect in Florida and the No. 64 prospect overall, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

247Sports wrote:

 “Likely impact Power 5 prospect with early round NFL Draft potential.”

Sorey also holds invites from both the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl, which showcase some of the most talented high school prospects each year.

While Georgia can’t be counted out,  247Sports Crystall Ball predictions have Alabama as the favorite to sign Sorey at this time.