HONOLULU — The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame today announced the 2022 Watch List for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. The list includes seven members of the BYU football team—Chaz Ah You, Atunaisa Mahe, Puka Nacua, Keenan Pili, Isaac Rex, Earl Tuioti-Mariner and Joe Tukuafu.
The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that epitomizes great ability and integrity. The watch list is composed of 85 players from 43 different FBS schools, with BYU leading the way with seven.
Three of the Cougars named to the watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award were previously selected to other preseason watch lists, including Nacua, Pili and Rex.
Nacua, a 6-2, 205-pound junior from Provo, Utah, was named to the watch list for the prestigious Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to college football’s outstanding pass catcher. Nacua led BYU in receiving yards in 2021 with 43 catches for 805 yards. He was named the 2021 Pro Football Network All-Independent Receiver of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and First Team Offense. He was also selected to the Phil Steele All-Independent Offense First Team.
Pili, a 6-3, 233-pound middle linebacker, was named to the watch list for the Bednarik Award, presented annually to the defensive player of the year. The junior from Provo, Utah, started the first three games of the 2021 season before suffering a season-ending injury. The 2021 team captain was leading the Cougars with 31 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery in just three games. In 2020, Pili was named Phil Steele All-Independent Second Team and was the Boca Raton Bowl Defensive MVP following BYU’s 49-23 win over UCF.
For the second-straight season, Rex was named to the John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding tight end. A native of San Clemente, California, Rex played in all 12 regular-season games for the Cougars as a Covid freshman in 2021. The 6-6, 247-pound tight end caught 10 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns. He was named to the Phil Steele 2021 All-Independent First Team.
Ah You is a 6-2, 206-pound senior defensive back/linebacker from Saratoga Springs, Utah. He played in eight games for BYU in 2021 before suffering an injury that cut short his season. Ah You had a key interception in the Cougars 26-17 win over No. 18 ranked Utah and had five games with six or more tackles.
Mahe, a 6-1, 310-pound defensive lineman, played in 12 games for the Cougars in 2021. The junior from West Jordan, Utah, recorded 26 tackles including five for loss. Two of his tackles-for-loss came in the win over rival Utah.
Tuioti-Mariner is a 6-5, 288-pound defensive lineman from Topeka, Kansas, who played in all 13 BYU games in 2021. The senior collected 25 tackles, including a career-high seven against Utah. Tuioti-Mariner has played in 42 games for the Cougars from 2018-2021
Tukuafu, a 6-4, 305-pound offensive lineman, played in 12 games in 2021. The junior from Glendale, Utah, was part of a BYU squad named 2021 Offensive Line of the Year by Pro Football Network. He helped the Cougar offense produce 33 points per game, while averaging 452 yards of total offense.
The candidates for the 2022 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award were selected based on past performance and future potential. Additions to the list may be made as the 2022 season progresses.
Five finalists for the 2022 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award will be unveiled on Dec. 1, with the winner being announced on Dec. 15. The presentation of the Award will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Celebration Dinner on Jan. 21, 2023, at the Sheraton Waikiki. They will also be recognized during the Polynesian Bowl on Jan. 20.
The finalists and winner will be chosen by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which includes former NFL Player and inaugural inductee Jack "The Throwin' Samoan" Thompson (Chairman), coaches Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, former NFL Player and inaugural inductee Olin Kreutz, inaugural inductee and past NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, former NFL player and Class of 2015 Inductee Ray Schoenke, ESPN sportscaster Neil Everett, and NFL Network commentator Steve Wyche.
Current Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Marcus Mariota was the inaugural recipient of the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award in 2014 while attending Oregon. Since then, eight others have been the recipient of the annual award, including former BYU and current New York Jets 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. The junior 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.