2018 Early Signing Period Signee Profile: DT Sio Nofoagatoto'a

/
SIO.png

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Sio Nofoagatoto’a, 6’2”, 321 pounds, Clearwater, FL (Clearwater Academy International), DT, 247Sports Composite Ranking: 3-star (84.52)

The newest member of the Indiana Hoosiers recruiting class has a terrific story and brings a little island flavor to Bloomington. Sio Nofoagatoto’a was born in American Samoa, an island in the Pacific Ocean that is technically part of the United States. However, people born in American Samoa are not automatically granted citizenship in the United States. The island has a rich tradition of producing terrific football players and after beginning to play football as a boy at ten, Nofoagatoto’a began to blossom into a bright prospect. It’s tough to get seen by talent evaluators in such isolation though and his family knew they needed to leave the island to help find opportunities for their children. After a brief stay in Australia, they moved their son to Clearwater, Florida. Sio enrolled at Clearwater Academy International while his parents stayed in Australia.

The move has surely been incredibly difficult for both child and parents but it has brought about an opportunity to chase his dream of playing football professionally and “paying back his parents for everything they did” for him. He burst onto the scene during his junior season, his first in Florida. He had 90 tackles, including a staggering 40 tackles for loss. Nofoagatoto’a has brute strength that allows him to plow through his would-be blockers and he moves his feet surprisingly well for a young man of his size.

Indiana and Arizona were the first two schools to offer but several others jumped in late and attempted to get Sio to pledge for them. Boston College, Arizona State and Central Florida all offered later on but the commitment made by the Indiana staff early built a relationship that was enough to sell Sio on the Hoosiers. He will be an interior lineman that Indiana hopes is capable of occupying multiple blockers, open up opportunities for pass rushers and get penetration to blow up the offensive backfield. Sio Nofoagatoto’a has a special story and the Indiana Hoosiers hope he has a special career manning the interior of the defensive line in Bloomington.