HONOLULU – San José State's Taniela Latu, Quincy Likio, Marist Talavou, and Soane Toia were named to the 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year watch list, announced by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame on Thursday. For Talavou and Toia, this is the second year they have been named to the watch list.
“The Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award has become one of the most prestigious awards in all of college football,” said Jesse Sapolu, Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Chairman, Co-Founder, and Inductee. “This award means so much to our people as it showcases the tremendous impact that our Polynesian student-athletes are having on the game of football, and gives us an opportunity to share our culture with the world.”
Five finalists for the 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award will be unveiled on Dec. 3, and the winner will be announced on Dec. 17.
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Taniela Latu, LB, Senior, San Mateo, Calif./Serra HS/College of San Mateo
- Phil Steele Preseason Mountain West Third-Team Defense (2024)
- Athlon Sports Preseason Mountain West Fourth-Team Defense (2024)
- Mountain West Scholar-Athlete (2024)
- Finished 2023 with 44 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss
- Four tackles against SDSU (11/18/23)
- Six tackles, 0.5 TFL's against No. 25 Fresno St. (11/11/23)
- 1.5 TFL's and five tackles vs. Utah State (10/21/23)
- Five tackles at UNM (10/14/23)
Soane Toia, DL, Senior, Nuku'alosa, Tonga/Grace Brethren HS
- Preseason All-Mountain West Football Team (2024)
- Phil Steele Preseason Mountain West First-Team Defense (2024)
- Athlon Sports Preseason Mountain West First-Team Defense (2024)
- All-Mountain West Second Team (2023)
- Had career-highs with 37 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, and five sacks in 2023
- Had career-high two sacks, 2.0 TFL's and four tackles against SDSU (11/18/23)
- Four tackles, 1.0 sacks and 1.5 TFL's against No. 25 Fresno St. (11/11/23)
- Career-high 1.5 sacks, 1.5 TFL's, plus three tackles at Hawai'i (10/28/23)
Quincy Likio, DL, Senior, Kapahulu, Hawai'i./Saint Louis HS/College of San Mateo
- First season at SJSU in 2023
- Played in 12 games with nine tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in 2023
- Had career-high five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss against Air Force (9/22/23)
- Won CCCAA Championship at College of San Mateo (2022)
Marist Talavou, OL, Redshirt Senior, Norwalk, Calif./St.John Bosco HS/Utah
- Athlon Sports Preseason Mountain West Fourth-Team Offense (2024)
- Started 12 games, missed one game due to injury in 2023
- The Spartans had the 30th-best rushing offense in the country, averaging 184.1 rushing yards per game, and the fifth-best total offense in the conference in 2023
- SJSU had 11 games with 100 yards or more, including the last seven with 150 yards or more and five of the last seven over 200 yards in 2023
- The six games over 200 yards ties the 2000 team for the most 200-yard-plus games this century and in the SJSU modern era in 2023
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