HONOLULU — The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame today announced the 2024 Watch List for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. The list includes five members of the BYU football team—Raider Damuni, Keanu Hill, Weylin Lapuaho, David Latu and Austin Leausa.
The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that epitomizes great ability and integrity. The 2024 watch list is composed of 96 players from 37 Division I FBS schools.
A native of Provo, Utah, Damuni appeared in 11 games as a true freshman for the Cougars in 2023. The 6-1, 200-pound safety forced a fumble at Oklahoma State and had five tackles versus Cincinnati and also West Virginia.
Hill, a 6-4, 240-pound tight end from Bedford, Texas, is a two-time candidate for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. The redshirt senior has played in 45 games for BYU over the past five season with 73 receptions for 1,212 yard and 11 touchdowns.
Lapuaho is a 6-4, 310-pound junior offensive lineman from South Jordan, Utah. Following his freshman season at Utah State in 2022, Lapuaho transferred to BYU and appeared in 10 games for the Cougars in 2023.
A native of Bountiful, Utah, Latu appeared in 12 games for BYU in 2023. The 6-4, 305-pound defensive lineman had six tackles as a sophomore in 2023 after transferring to BYU following his freshman season at Snow College in 2022.
Leausa is a 6-5, 315-pound junior offensive lineman from West Jordan, Utah. He transferred to BYU in the offseason after appearing in all 11 games for Southern Utah in 2023.
The candidates for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award were selected based on past performance and future potential. Additions to the watch list may be made as the 2024 season progresses.
Five finalists for the 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award will be unveiled on Dec. 3, with the winner being announced on Dec. 17. The presentation of the Award will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Celebration Dinner on Jan. 18, 2025, at the Sheraton Waikiki. They will also be recognized during the Polynesian Bowl on Jan. 17.
Current Washington Commanders quarterback, Marcus Mariota was the inaugural recipient of the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award in 2014 while attending Oregon. Since then, nine others have been the recipient of the annual award, including former BYU and current Denver Broncos quarterback, Zach Kapono Wilson, who received the award in 2020 after leading the Cougars to a 11-1 record and a No. 11 final ranking. In 2020, Wilson passed for 3,692 yards and 33 touchdowns, while completed 73.4 percent of his passes—good for a new BYU record, eclipsing the previous mark held by NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.