Oregon State DT Tevita Pome'e, DB Sailasa Vadrawale III, Earn Preseason Honors

Yesterday, Oregon State defensive back Sailasa Vadrawale III defensive tackle Tevita Pome’e earned special honors.

They were named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year award. 

This award honors the nation's most outstanding player of Polynesian ancestry - a player who also exemplifies exceptional ability and integrity on & off the field - and the award’s preseason watch list includes 81 names across college football.

Pome’e, a redshirt sophomore defensive tackle, is expected to start at nose tackle for the Beavers this season. Last Fall he earned 15 tackles in 11 games. A consensus 3 star prospect out of high school, and one of the top 10 recruits in the state of Utah, Tonga initially committed to Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks. After a redshirt season in Eugene, he transferred to Oregon State. Pome’e hails from Tonga in the South Pacific. 

Vadrawale III, a redshirt sophomore defensive back, is a swiss-army knife in the secondary. Last season, he played in all 12 games, primarily as a nickel corner after Noble Thomas Jr suffered a season-ending injury in early October. In 2024, Vadrawale III earned 4 pass breakups, 1 interception, and 30 tackles. Previously, he played safety at Cal, where he saw game action twice in 2023. His first name Sailasa is primarily associated with Fiji; he shares it with a notable nineteenth-century Fijian missionary Sailasa Naucukidi.

Finalists will be announced on December 9th, and a winner will be announced on December 16th. The winner of the award will also be recognized during the Polynesian Bowl on January 17th 2026.