Florida State University Athletics
Three Named to Polynesian Football Player of the Year Watch List
8/15/2024 11:00:00 AM | Football
TALLAHASSEE – Three Seminoles – running back Lawrance Toafili, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and defensive lineman Sione Lolohea – were named to the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List Thursday.
Toafili, a Pinellas Park native, ran 69 times for 463 yards and four touchdowns and added 21 catches for 186 yards and one touchdown last season. He was the ACC Championship Game MVP in 2023, running for a career-high 118 yards and the game's only touchdown in FSU's 16-6 victory over Louisville, the Noles 16th ACC championship in program history.
Toafili's 73-yard run against the Cardinals tied the longest in his career and was the second-longest in ACC Championship Game history. In addition to the game against Louisville, Toafili was also FSU's leading rusher against Syracuse, a 41-3 FSU win. For his career, Toafili has played 43 games with 1,439 rushing yards 689 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns.
Uiagalelei, also on the watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell, Davey O'Brien and Unitas Golden Arm awards, has started 40 games in his career and earned a 30-10 record while accounting for 9,451 yards of total offense with 8,319 yards and 57 touchdowns passing and 1,132 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. The Inland Empire, California, native transferred to FSU from Oregon State, where he was a 2023 Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist after throwing for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns with 219 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground. His 21 passing touchdowns were sixth in a season for the Beavers, with a career-high five coming in Oregon State's victory over Cal.
Uiagalelei spent his first three seasons at Clemson, where he ranks top-10 in program history for completions, passing touchdowns, quarterback rushing touchdowns, passing yards and wins as the starting quarterback. He recorded 51 total touchdowns with the Tigers and was 22-6 as Clemson's starting quarterback.
Lolohea, an Oregon State transfer originally from Houma Tukulalo Vava'u, Tonga, played 40 games with 22 starts over his four seasons with the Beavers. A second-team All-Pac 12 player in 2023, he started all 13 games with 47 tackles, 8.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week after notching a career-high 10 tackles in a win vs. No. 18 UCLA.
Five finalists for the award will be announced December 3, with the winner unveiled on December 17.
Florida State, the defending ACC Champions, will open the season August 24 at 12:00 p.m. ET in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic against Georgia Tech on ESPN.
Toafili, a Pinellas Park native, ran 69 times for 463 yards and four touchdowns and added 21 catches for 186 yards and one touchdown last season. He was the ACC Championship Game MVP in 2023, running for a career-high 118 yards and the game's only touchdown in FSU's 16-6 victory over Louisville, the Noles 16th ACC championship in program history.
Toafili's 73-yard run against the Cardinals tied the longest in his career and was the second-longest in ACC Championship Game history. In addition to the game against Louisville, Toafili was also FSU's leading rusher against Syracuse, a 41-3 FSU win. For his career, Toafili has played 43 games with 1,439 rushing yards 689 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns.
Uiagalelei, also on the watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell, Davey O'Brien and Unitas Golden Arm awards, has started 40 games in his career and earned a 30-10 record while accounting for 9,451 yards of total offense with 8,319 yards and 57 touchdowns passing and 1,132 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. The Inland Empire, California, native transferred to FSU from Oregon State, where he was a 2023 Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist after throwing for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns with 219 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground. His 21 passing touchdowns were sixth in a season for the Beavers, with a career-high five coming in Oregon State's victory over Cal.
Uiagalelei spent his first three seasons at Clemson, where he ranks top-10 in program history for completions, passing touchdowns, quarterback rushing touchdowns, passing yards and wins as the starting quarterback. He recorded 51 total touchdowns with the Tigers and was 22-6 as Clemson's starting quarterback.
Lolohea, an Oregon State transfer originally from Houma Tukulalo Vava'u, Tonga, played 40 games with 22 starts over his four seasons with the Beavers. A second-team All-Pac 12 player in 2023, he started all 13 games with 47 tackles, 8.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week after notching a career-high 10 tackles in a win vs. No. 18 UCLA.
Five finalists for the award will be announced December 3, with the winner unveiled on December 17.
Florida State, the defending ACC Champions, will open the season August 24 at 12:00 p.m. ET in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic against Georgia Tech on ESPN.
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