CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the Polynesian Player of the Year award, which was unveiled on Thursday.
The award is given annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry who epitomizes great ability and integrity.
The 10 finalists were selected from an initial watch list of nearly 100 players. The winner of the award will be unveiled Jan. 10 with the formal presentation of the honor at the 2024 Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner 10 days later.
The announcement comes as Fuaga has already amassed a great deal of postseason honors. He’s been selected as a First-Team All-American by CBS Sports and Pro Football Focus. He’s a Second-Team All-American by The Athletic and USA Today.
He was also named a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection via a vote of the conference’s coaches and was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy.
Fuaga, who hails from Tacoma, Wash., is part of an offensive line that has helped the Beavers to 180.8 yards per game on the ground. OSU has averaged 426.9 total yards per game and the Beavers have allowed just 15 sacks.
Individually, Fuaga is graded as the nation’s No. 1 run blocker by Pro Football Focus, at 90.7. His 86.5 overall grade, meanwhile, is third in the nation.
He is the first Oregon State offensive lineman to earn First-Team All-America honors since Andy Levitre in 2008.
