University Southern California Trojans
Meet Palaie Gaoteote IV
October 17, 2018 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Size: 6-foot-2, 250 lbs.
Birthday (Age): May 11, 1999 (19 years old)
High School (Hometown): Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Prep Career: Gaoteote made 2017 Max Preps All-American first team, PrepStar Dream Team, USA Today All-USA second team, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, USA Today All-Nevada Defensive Player of the Year and Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Polynesian High School Football Player of the Year finalist as a senior linebacker.
USC Career: Gaoteote has played in three games, starting two, so far this season. He's racked up 13 tackles, highlighted by a team-best 9-tackle performance in USC's win vs. Colorado.
USC head coach Clay Helton on Gaoteote's performance vs. Utah: "I thought he came in, really got to the ball, played very instinctively."
Fun Fact: Gaoteote, whose last name is pronounced nah-OE-tay-OE-tay, spent his youth in American Samoa and played his freshman year in Hawaii before settling in Las Vegas.
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