60 in 60: #59 Utah State’s Hale Motu’apuaka (Defensive Tackle)
Jun 10, 2022, 1:35 PM | Updated: Jul 7, 2022, 1:49 pm
Utah State defensive tackle Hale Motu’apuaka (Courtesy of USU Athletics)
(Courtesy of USU Athletics)
SALT LAKE CITY – The countdown for Hans & Scotty’s 60 in 60 is on. Coming in at #59 is Utah State‘s Hale Motu’apuaka (DT).
Throughout the summer Hans & Scotty are counting down the top 60 college football players in the state of Utah as voted on by the media (and a fan ballot).
“Hale is the guy up front that makes everything go,” Utah State head coach Blake Anderson said of Motu’apuaka. “He is the energy that everybody else feeds off of. He’s one of the most competitive guys you’re every gonna be around and he is disruptive and violent at the point of attack. And he is one of the best in the league, in my opinion, at that position.”
#59 in our 60in60 is USU DL Hale Motu’apuaka. Hale does so many things for this USU defensive front. Love the selection! pic.twitter.com/a2l2caXh1E
— Hans Olsen (@975Hans) June 10, 2022
Utah State’s Hale Motu’apuaka
Motu’apuaka is a senior defensive lineman from Honolulu, Hawaii.
Prior to joining the Aggies’ football program, Motu’apuaka was a standout player at Punahou High School. As a junior and senior at Punahou, Motu’apuaka earned first-team all-Interscholastic League of Honolulu honors.
Motu’apuaka’s first season on the field at Utah State was 2018. During his redshirt freshman season, Motu’apuaka had 13 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and one quarterback hurry in 12 games.
As a sophomore in 2020, Motu’apuaka had eight tackles, one quarterback hurry, and a blocked kick. He played in six games, including two starts.
Last season as a junior, Motu’apuaka recorded 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and eight tackles for loss. He played in all 14 of Utah State’s games. Motu’apuaka helped USU to an 11-3 record, a Mountain West Conference title, and an LA Bowl win over Oregon State.
Motu’apuaka and the Aggies open their 2022 schedule at home against the UConn Huskies on Saturday, August 27. A week after hosting the Huskies, Utah State will travel to Alabama to play the Crimson Tide of the SEC. Alabama and Utah State will play on September 3.
His brother, Sione, is an offensive lineman for the Aggies.
In 2021, Motu’apuaka won the 2021 World Fireknife Competition Men’s Division Championship.
! MUST WATCH !
#59 in our 60in60 Hale Motu’apuaka is better at the fire knife than anyone else in the World! pic.twitter.com/vwB2go8jLT— Hans Olsen (@975Hans) June 10, 2022
About the 60 in 60
Every summer Hans and Scotty reveal the best college football players in the state of Utah in their annual 60 in 60 as voted on by the media.
In 2022, for the first time ever, the 60 in 60 included one vote based on a fan ballot.
Click here for the complete 60 in 60 rankings countdown.
