Four-star DB Pole Moala commits to UCLA and breaks down why he chose the Bruins

Pole Moala (Mick Walker/Lettermen Row)

Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita defensive back Pole Moala just announced his commitment to UCLA and broke down why he chose the Bruins.

UCLA has been rapidly gaining momentum with Moala for weeks and were able to seal the deal minutes ago.

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“I’m very excited to be a Bruin,” Moala said. “I love the new direction the program is going in and I’m excited to be a part of what coach Chesney and the staff is building.

“It’s funny when I re-classified, UCLA wasn’t really one of my top 2-3 schools. They were in the top five but every time I visited, I felt more comfortable and I’m very confident in my decision.”

As mentioned, Moala re-classified from ’28 to ’27 and at the time, told us Ole Miss and Michigan were his top two. Cal was making a hard push and Oklahoma was slated to get a visit as well.

“The energy at UCLA is just different now,” Moala said. “They offered me a year ago but I wasn’t that high on them at the time. Everything is so different now and they really made me a high priority.

“I love the staff and the plan they have in place for me. I think I can get in there and compete right away and UCLA is definitely coming up so it’s exciting to be a part of that. I like the idea of helping building something, bringing UCLA back.”

A now viral video of Moala coming out of the elevator in the football facility with his parents to a host of UCLA coaches cheering and singing the Bruins fight song was just another indicator of how coveted he was.

“That was crazy,” Moala said. “Like I said, it felt like home to me. My whole family is excited as well. Staying close to home wasn’t really a big factor but it’s definitely an added bonus and made UCLA that much more attractive for sure.”

Moala is an outstanding safety prospect and currently checks in as a four-star prospect and the No. 339 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

He’s even higher by Rivals.com and is rated the No.167 player nationally and the No. 12 safety in the country. He’s a physical player who loves to hit but has range, ball skills and high end athleticism as well.

He put up solid track times as a freshman, with personal best times of 11.06 in the 100-meters, and 22.75 time in the 200m.

As a sophomore playing at Lawndale (Calif.) Leuzinger, Moala racked up 45 tackles and picked off three passes, added three touchdowns as a receiver and returned a kickoff for a score.

He transferred to Santa Margarita in the off-season and will have a chance to help the Eagles defend their CIF Division I and Open Division state championships.