STILLWATER — In December 2017, the first-ever early signing period for senior high school football players came and went for Samuela Tuihalamaka.
At the time, he was a 6-foot-2, 280-pound nose guard in Riverside, California, playing at the well-known Mater Dei High School.
But Tuihalamaka was not so well known. Depending on your recruiting service of choice, Tuihalamaka was a two- or three-star prospect with minimal college options, holding offers from the likes of Idaho State and the University of Louisiana.
“I didn’t know what I was gonna do,” Tuihalamaka said. “I was afraid a little bit.