Imagine if every day you had to do your job with a 6-5, 320-pound man crouched over you, ready to club you in the head immediately after you hit send.
That's what it's like to be a center for the Oregon Ducks, yet Poncho Laloulu has embraced the opportunity with pride and tenacity. Just this week he earned a place on the Rimington Award Watch List, the honor for centers that Jackson Powers-Johnson won last year.
He's the latest in a long line of reliable centers for the Ducks. Before him came JPJ, Alex Forsyth, Hroniss Grasu, Jordan Holmes and Max Unger. Last season Laloulu played 413 snaps as a true freshman, playing in every game, taking the field for 183 snaps at right guard, 116 at left guard and 111 at center, starting in the Fiesta Bowl after Powers-Johnson declared for the NFL draft.
This was on an offensive line that allowed five sacks all season, zero sacks in 10 of 14 games and one sack over its last 8 games, while paving the way for 5.9 yards a carry on the ground.
Veteran teammate Ajani Cornelius told Erik Skopil of 247 Sports, "There are certain things he was hesitant about before that now he's super confident about... Poncho is one of the most impressive players I've seen during my time in college."
Poncho is powerful, 6-2, 325 pounds. His first strike is quick and devastating, a blow to knock people back. He's been guided in the game by older brother Faaope, who played three years at Oregon before moving into a student assistant role this spring.
In the latest edition of "That Team Out West," strength coach Wilson Love praised Iapani's dedication and development. In a coaches' meeting he said, "Ponch had a great summer, man. This guy is crazy freaking strong right now. I mean, I think this guy realizes that he's a dude and when he talks, everybody listens. He's got Alpha tendencies. He's been freaking incredible and I love where he is."
The younger Laloulu brother was a four-star recruit in 2023. He earned a spot at the Under Armour All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl, a consensus Top 300 recruit according to 247 Sports.
He takes tremendous pride in his heritage and in coming from the 808. As a high school senior he told KHON News, "We don't play around when it comes to football. You know, some of use this as a ticket to help our parents. Right before I told my mom and my dad, that I promise that I will get an invite to the All-American game, so that all that hard work that they've been doing for me, it shows off, especially helping me through the classroom and onto to the field, the sweat and dedication that they put for me so that I can accomplish my dreams."
Poncho has style.
Immediately he won the respect of veteran teammates, and now he is quarterback of the offensive line, the one who make the line calls and adjustments to defensive shifts.
Local Oregon State
Most Popular
Comments / 0