2023 Linebacker Poasa Utu Commits to Oklahoma State

Poasa Utu visited Oklahoma State during camp week this summer and left with his first FBS offer, and now he’ll be a Cowboy.

Utu, a 2023 linebacker from Kennedale, Texas, announced his commitment to Oklahoma State on Monday. Listed at 6-foot, 200 pounds, Utu is unranked in the 2023 class, but the Cowboys’ coaching staff felt strongly enough about his abilities to offer him after seeing him at camp.

Playing primarily as an edge rusher as a junior in 2021, Utu recorded 97 tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception — not too shabby for an unranked recruit. He helped lead Kennedale to a 10-2 record and an appearance in the Texas 4A D1 State Playoffs.

It’s another recruiting win for OSU player development specialist Beni Tonga, who specializes in bringing Polynesian players to Stillwater. Utu joins Euless Trinity defensive lineman Ricky Lolohea as the second Polynesian player to commit to the Cowboys in the class.

“The best way to market is by word of mouth, especially in the Polynesian community,” Tonga told PFB last fall. “They feel like, ‘OK, that’s another place that we can go to.’ Now it feels a lot more familiar than, like a foreign place.”

As things stand, Utu is the 10th commit in the Cowboys’ 2023 class, which ranks 26th nationally.

Highlights