Jermayne Lole, Tiaoalii Savea named to Polynesian College Football Player of the Year watch list

Longhorn defensive line duo Jermayne Lole and Tiaoalii Savea landed on the preseason watch list for the 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday. The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that epitomizes great ability and integrity.

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Lole is a graduate transfer defensive lineman from Louisville, who also previously played at Arizona State from 2018-2021, and has played in 42 career games with 33 starts. The Long Beach, Calif., native appeared in 14 total games for Louisville, including 12 in 2023 and two in 2022 prior to a season-ending injury. In 2023, Lole totaled 19 tackles, including 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He contributed two tackles and sack in a conference win versus No. 20 Duke. In the ACC Championship game against Florida State, he registered four tackles including a half tackle for loss for two yards. Lole collected three tackles against USC in the Holiday Bowl to help Louisville to a 10-win season. In 28 games at Arizona State, Lole recorded 123 tackles, including 20 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, with eight pass breakups, however he missed the 2021 season with an injury after being named a preseason All-American by Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Lole played in four games at Arizona State in 2020 during a shortened season due to the pandemic, carding 24 tackles, including 17 solo stops, five tackles for loss and one sack, along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Lole led the Pac-12 in tackles for loss or rushes for no gain with seven and ranked third among defensive interior players in the Pac-12 with 18 quarterback pressures. Lole recorded 72 tackles in 2019 – the third most for an Arizona State defensive lineman since 1990. He also led the team with both 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss, while adding one fumble recovery. His 37 tackles for either a loss or no gain in the regular season led the nation’s defensive interior linemen. Lole notched at least four tackles in every game but and had at least five tackles in 10 games, delivering six or more tackles in seven contests. In the win against No. 18 Michigan State, Lole posted eight tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack, earning Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for his efforts against the Spartans. He recorded two tackles for loss and recovered a fumble at No. 13 Utah. Lole registered eight tackles with one tackle of loss and one sack against Oregon State.

Savea has played in 29 career games, including 19 at Arizona that included two starts after having transferred from UCLA where he spent one season and played in 10 games. With the Wildcats, he accumulated 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three pressures, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick in two seasons.

It’s the second-straight season Savea has been named to the preseason watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. Last season, he appeared in 12 games with starts against Stanford at nose guard and against Utah at EDGE, collecting 22 tackles, six tackles for loss for 24 yards, 1.5 sacks and three pressures. He tallied multiple tackles in seven games, and against Washington he posted three tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack. Savea helped Arizona to a 10-3 record last year, including a 38-24 win over No. 12 Oklahoma in the Valero Alamo Bowl. All three loses were by seven points or fewer with one coming by seven in overtime at Mississippi State, another by two in triple overtime at No. 9 USC, and the other by seven against No. 7 Washington, which went on to play in the CFP National Championship Game.

In 2022, Savea appeared in seven games during his first season with the Wildcats, totaling 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery, and one blocked kick. The blocked field goal helped Arizona upset No. 9 UCLA, 34-28, at The Rose Bowl, and he also matched his season high of three tackles in that game. Prior to Arizona, Savea spent one season at UCLA in 2021 and saw time in 10 games along the defensive line. He finished the year with seven tackles after logging multiple stops in each of his last three appearances as a freshman.

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. The award’s presentation will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Celebration Dinner on Jan. 18, 2025, at the Sheraton Waikiki, and they will also be recognized during the Polynesian Bowl, which takes place Jan. 17, 2025.

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The Longhorns kick off the season at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Aug. 31, at home against Colorado State. The game will air on ESPN from inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Via UT press release