2020 USC Football Roster
Roster
Gaoteote IV, Palaie
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Jersey Number 1
Palaie Gaoteote IV
- Position:
- Inside Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 250
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Las Vegas, NV
- High School:
- Bishop Gorman HS
Bio
CAREER: He has 105 tackles, including 7.5 for losses for 21 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 11 yards), in his career. He has appeared in 20 games, with 14 starts, in his career.
2021: Gaoteote, known for his high-impact tackles, will look to re-emerge in the inside linebacker corps as a senior in 2021.
2020: Gaoteote started USC’s first 2 games (Arizona State, Arizona) at inside linebacker as a junior in 2020, but suffered a concussion at Arizona and missed the rest of the season. He entered his name in the transfer portal prior to the UCLA game. Overall in those 2 games, he had 9 tackles (7 versus Arizona State and 2 at Arizona).
2019: Gaoteote started the first half of 2019 at inside linebacker as a sophomore before being slowed by injury. Overall in 2019 while appearing in 8 games (Fresno State, Stanford, BYU, Utah, Washington, Notre Dame, Oregon,, Iowa) and starting 7 (the first 6 and Iowa), he had 58 tackles, including 3 for loses of 4 yards. He sprained his ankle at Notre Dame and missed the next 2 games (Arizona, Colorado), then reinjured his ankle against Oregon and missed the next 3 games (Arizona State, California, UCLA).
He had 6 tackles against Fresno State, 3 tackles (0.5 for loss) against Stanford, 9 tackles (1.5 for losses) at BYU, a game-high and career-best 14 tackles against Utah, 9 tackles at Washington, 6 tackles at Notre Dame, 3 tackles against Oregon and then 8 tackles (1 for a loss) against Iowa.
2018: Gaoteote was impressive as a first-year freshman inside linebacker and on special teams in 2018. Overall in 2018 while appearing in 10 games (all but UNLV and Stanford, which he missed while recuperating from pre-season knee cartilage surgery) and starting 5 times (Washington State at defensive end, Colorado, Utah and Arizona State at inside linebacker for an injured Cameron Smith and Notre Dame at inside linebacker for an injured John Houston Jr.), he had 38 tackles, including 4.5 for losses of 17 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 11 yards).
He had 2 tackles against both Texas and Washington State (while starting). He started for an injured Cameron Smith against Colorado and led USC with 9 tackles (2 for losses). He started again at Utah and had 11 tackles (with a sack). He had 5 tackles against Arizona State while starting. He had 2 tackles against California. He started against Notre Dame and had 7 tackles (1.5 for loss, with a sack).
HIGH SCHOOL: He 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 at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas (Nev.). In 2017, he made 80 tackles, including 20 for losses (with 3 sacks), 2 deflections, 2 forced fumbles and 3 blocked punts (he also caught a 6-yard TD pass). Bishop Gorman won its ninth straight state title.
As a 2016 junior, he made Max Preps Junior All-American first team and USA Today All-Nevada first team while getting 68 tackles, including 11.5 for losses (with 2 sacks), 2 deflections, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Bishop Gorman won its second consecutive national championship.
As a 2015 sophomore, he had 92 tackles, including 13.5 for losses (with 3 sacks), 1 interception, 3 deflections and 1 forced fumble as Bishop Gorman was the national champion.
He spent his 2014 freshman year playing at Mililani (Hi.) High, which won the state championship. Current Trojan Vavae Malepeai also prepped at Mililani.
PERSONAL: He is a sociology major at USC. He spent his youth in American Samoa. His uncle is Ma’a Tanuvasa, a defensive end at Hawaii (1990-92), then with the Denver Broncos (1995-2000), where he won Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, San Diego Chargers (2001) and Atlanta Falcons (2002). His cousin, also named Ma’a Tanuvasa, was a safety at Boise State in 2017, while another cousin, Haskell Garrett, is a senior defensive tackle at Ohio State.
2021: Gaoteote, known for his high-impact tackles, will look to re-emerge in the inside linebacker corps as a senior in 2021.
2020: Gaoteote started USC’s first 2 games (Arizona State, Arizona) at inside linebacker as a junior in 2020, but suffered a concussion at Arizona and missed the rest of the season. He entered his name in the transfer portal prior to the UCLA game. Overall in those 2 games, he had 9 tackles (7 versus Arizona State and 2 at Arizona).
2019: Gaoteote started the first half of 2019 at inside linebacker as a sophomore before being slowed by injury. Overall in 2019 while appearing in 8 games (Fresno State, Stanford, BYU, Utah, Washington, Notre Dame, Oregon,, Iowa) and starting 7 (the first 6 and Iowa), he had 58 tackles, including 3 for loses of 4 yards. He sprained his ankle at Notre Dame and missed the next 2 games (Arizona, Colorado), then reinjured his ankle against Oregon and missed the next 3 games (Arizona State, California, UCLA).
He had 6 tackles against Fresno State, 3 tackles (0.5 for loss) against Stanford, 9 tackles (1.5 for losses) at BYU, a game-high and career-best 14 tackles against Utah, 9 tackles at Washington, 6 tackles at Notre Dame, 3 tackles against Oregon and then 8 tackles (1 for a loss) against Iowa.
2018: Gaoteote was impressive as a first-year freshman inside linebacker and on special teams in 2018. Overall in 2018 while appearing in 10 games (all but UNLV and Stanford, which he missed while recuperating from pre-season knee cartilage surgery) and starting 5 times (Washington State at defensive end, Colorado, Utah and Arizona State at inside linebacker for an injured Cameron Smith and Notre Dame at inside linebacker for an injured John Houston Jr.), he had 38 tackles, including 4.5 for losses of 17 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 11 yards).
He had 2 tackles against both Texas and Washington State (while starting). He started for an injured Cameron Smith against Colorado and led USC with 9 tackles (2 for losses). He started again at Utah and had 11 tackles (with a sack). He had 5 tackles against Arizona State while starting. He had 2 tackles against California. He started against Notre Dame and had 7 tackles (1.5 for loss, with a sack).
HIGH SCHOOL: He 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 at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas (Nev.). In 2017, he made 80 tackles, including 20 for losses (with 3 sacks), 2 deflections, 2 forced fumbles and 3 blocked punts (he also caught a 6-yard TD pass). Bishop Gorman won its ninth straight state title.
As a 2016 junior, he made Max Preps Junior All-American first team and USA Today All-Nevada first team while getting 68 tackles, including 11.5 for losses (with 2 sacks), 2 deflections, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Bishop Gorman won its second consecutive national championship.
As a 2015 sophomore, he had 92 tackles, including 13.5 for losses (with 3 sacks), 1 interception, 3 deflections and 1 forced fumble as Bishop Gorman was the national champion.
He spent his 2014 freshman year playing at Mililani (Hi.) High, which won the state championship. Current Trojan Vavae Malepeai also prepped at Mililani.
PERSONAL: He is a sociology major at USC. He spent his youth in American Samoa. His uncle is Ma’a Tanuvasa, a defensive end at Hawaii (1990-92), then with the Denver Broncos (1995-2000), where he won Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, San Diego Chargers (2001) and Atlanta Falcons (2002). His cousin, also named Ma’a Tanuvasa, was a safety at Boise State in 2017, while another cousin, Haskell Garrett, is a senior defensive tackle at Ohio State.
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