Tevita Pome’e, fast-rising Utah lineman, commits to Oregon Ducks over USC, Washington, others

Three-star lineman Tevita Pome'e led his Layton Christian Academy team to an historic turnaround

247Sports three-star defensive lineman Tevita Pome’e came to Layton Christian Academy (Utah) from Tonga in 2019 “with not a lick of English as a rugby player,” according to LCA linebacker/running back coach Eric Moala-Liava’a.

“He joined the football team… and literally had to learn how to put on shoulder pads and a helmet,” he said.

But the 6-foot-3, 315-pound two-way lineman quickly made the adjustment to football.

On Friday, Pome’e announced his commitment to Oregon over offers from Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon State, USC, Washington and several others.

@tevitapomee is going to be a duck!!! The biggest verbal commitment announcement event ever! @TheLCAEagle Football! Celebrate tonight at the the LCA Luau!!! @oregonfootball Historical day at LCA pic.twitter.com/eNA1lFbDB5

— Eric Moala-Liava’a (aka E-MO) 🇺🇸 🇹🇴 (@ericmoala1) April 8, 2022

How quickly Pome’e adjusted to football is an incredible achievement, but it’s even more eye-opening given what he has helped build at Layton Christian Academy, an international boarding school with roughly 500 students from kindergarten through high school.

During his first season, LCA went 1-9 and fired its coach — ensuring a run of five coaching staffs in four years.

As a junior, Pome’e registered 53 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks defensively, while anchoring a Layton Christian offensive line that helped produce two 1,000-yard rushers.

Perhaps more impressive, Pome’e was a team leader for a program that went from 1-9 the previous year to a state runner-up showing at the 1A level, earning them the Standard-Examiner’s Team of the Year Award.

With his commitment, Pome’e is the first Power 5 conference pledge in school history.

For Oregon, he marks the second addition to the 2023 recruiting class, joining Basha High School (Chandler, Arizona) four-star cornerback Cole Martin.