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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a roster full of players, and we want to talk about all of them. One Foot Down’s player profile series will take a look at every single one of them, and hopefully we all learn a little bit more about these guys, and Notre Dame’s chances for the upcoming 2018 season.
#13 Paul Moala
It’s Paul Moala’s turn in our player profile series, and the project safety looks to carve out a role on this roster through physicality and playmaking ability. Moala is a local kid, hailing from Penn High School out of Mishawaka Indiana. At 6’0 and 210 lbs, he is a big kid with a mean-streak on the field. He has the potential to grow into a linebacker as time goes on, but for now he remains a safety for the Irish.
3 Things About Paul Moala
- He was the first Indiana native to commit to the Irish since Josh Barajas in the Class of 2015.
- He was the lowest ranked defensive player in the Class of 2018 according to the 247Composite Rankings, but he was ranked above running back C’Bo Flemister.
- His jersey number 13 is the same as classmate Lawrence Keys.
YouTube Hot Fire
This highlight reel shows off Moala’s physicality and nose for the ball.
Country, Condiment, or Canon
Identifying the player as either a country, condiment, or member of the Star Wars Canon.
The United States c. 1800
The U.S. was a land of uncertainty around this time period. They were a young country running a drastically different form of government than what was common, so nobody really knew how it would pan out. However, immense opportunity was readily apparent within this nation.
So, too, is immense opportunity apparent with Moala. He has the athletic ability to be a great contributor at Notre Dame, but just how he will pan out - in terms of both what position he winds up at and the degree of his future success - are both foggy at this moment. But, there is reason for excitement nonetheless.
2018 Outlook
Expecting much from Moala in 2018 is bound to be a fruitless endeavor. He is very much a project at this point that needs some time to develop as a player. He may secure a special teams role depending on how camp shakes out, but he should not see the field in a more significant manner barring a catastrophic string of injuries.