Vatulele Finau

Height:
6-2
Weight:
280
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Lennox, CA
High School:
Serra HS

Listed No. 1 on preseason depth chart at left guard on the offensive line this fall.

2022 -- Played in nine games with five starts as a redshirt senior at left guard ... taking advantage of NCAA rule granting extra year of eligibility to those who played during 2020-21 season (COVID-19 pandemic) ... starts were in the Sacramento State, Eastern Washington, UC Davis, Montana and Montana State contests ... part of an offensive line that helped team finish No. 5 in the nation in passing offense and No. 37 in total offense.

2021 -- After playing at left tackle in 2019 and 2020 and challenging for the starting nod at center in 2021 before suffering an injury which limited him to just one game, has moved to left guard for the 2022 campaign ... missing the first five games of 2021 season, he started in the Montana State game before another injury forced him to the sideline for the final five contests.

2020 (Spring 2021) -- Played in season opener against Southern Utah on the offensive line.

2019 -- Played in six games with five starts as a redshirt freshman ... part of the offensive front that helped Cal Poly finish No. 7 in the FCS in time of possession, No. 9 in rushing offense and No. 5 in fourth-down conversions.

2018 -- Redshirt.

High School -- An offensive and defensive lineman under head coach Scott Altenberg at Serra High School in Gardena, Finau was recruited as an offensive lineman and was considered for All-Mission League honors ... the Cavaliers finished 6-5 overall last fall, posting a 4-2 mark for third place in the Mission League ... Serra qualified for the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 playoffs ... in addition to Cal Poly, Finau was recruited by San Diego, Western New Mexico, Columbia and Air Force ... "I chose Cal Poly because the players really felt like family when I visited. The academics are great and the coaches are great people" ... a full Tongan, Finau did not start playing football until reaching high school ... was a starter as a tackle as a sophomore, a guard as a junior and a center as a senior ... earned Principal Honors ... chose to attend Cal Poly because "the coaches were great, the players were great and the education here is top notch."

Personal -- Son of Sione and Vaiangina Tukutau ... two sisters, Tema Finau and Maumi Lokotui ... cousin Vita Vea is a defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and also played at the University of Washington ... member of church youth group at Lennox Tongan United Methodist Church ... wants to become an engineer for SpaceX or be a governor ... plays the ukulele and piano ... born in Lennox, Calif. ... majoring in construction management.