60 in 60: #43 Utah State’s Hale Motu’apuaka (Defensive Line)
Jul 3, 2023, 1:39 PM | Updated: 1:50 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 #43 is Utah State’s Hale Motu’apuaka (DT).
Utah State’s Hale Motu’apuaka
Motu’apuaka is a fifth-year 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.
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Motu’apuaka’s first season on the field at Utah State was in 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.
“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.”
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.
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Last season, Motu’apuaka played and started in 12 games. He recorded 35 tackles, 5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and one quarterback hurry.
His brother, Tavo, is an offensive lineman for the Aggies.
In 2021, Motu’apuaka won the World Fireknife Competition Men’s Division Championship.
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 2023, for the second year in a row, the 60 in 60 included one vote based on a fan ballot.
Click here for the complete 60 in 60 rankings countdown.
