CSM Latu Moala to Oregon State

BeaverBlitz.com Recruiting Staff
BeaverBlitz.com

"I was with my coach and my family just a couple of hours ago, and we went through my final decision," Moala said on Monday night. "I called Oregon State and told them that I wanted to be a Beaver."

Moala made his decision after making an official visit to Corvallis this past weekend. It was a trip that simply exceeded all his expectations. "The visit went great - I wasn't used to the weather at first, but everything was nice," Moala said. "I like the campus, the coaching staff, and the players too. When I was out and with them we had that bond - and I just knew that I had to go up there."

Moala was most impressed with several aspects of the school and the program. "The coaching staff, the academics, and the environment there," Moala said. "And when I went to the basketball game, I could just tell that everyone is really into it there."
If you thought last weekend was big recruiting-wise for the Beavers, you were mistaken. This past weekend is proving to be the Oregon State football program's biggest haul thus far, and Latu Moala has joined the party. The experienced 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive end from the College of San Mateo in California enjoyed all the festivities over the past few days in Corvallis, and after he came back home he decided it was time to pull the trigger.
At 6-foot-2, and 260-pounds, Moala is an imposing presence. He described what the plan is for him on the field at OSU. "They want me at defensive end and I'll probably play inside too," Moala said. "I was talking to the defensive line coach and he said that I could play both. I'm experienced - they have seven seniors coming back and then after that it's two juniors and freshmen. So hopefully I'll just fit in and do what I'm good at."

This past season at San Mateo, he helped the team to a 7-4 record and a bowl game appearance. He was named First Team All-Conference and also earned honorable mention All-State honors. He selected Oregon State over San Jose State, which he visited in December, and upcoming visits to Hawaii and Texas State have been canceled.

Moala is the fourth commitment so far from this past weekend's visitors, joining twin brothers Kevin and Keith Pankey and Kyle Bell, all of Mt. Whitney High School in Visalia, California.