Josh Ngaluafe

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Height:
6-2
Weight:
300
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Sacramento, CA
High School:
River City HS

2024 -- Played in 7 games as a redshirt junior, tallying 10 tackles (3 solo, 7 assisted) with a season-high three tackles against both Idaho and Weber State... recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, including 1.0 TFL each against Idaho and Montana

2023-- Played in nine games and started in six... had 13 total tackles, nine solo and four assisted... had three tackles for a loss of eight yards... had had 1.5 sack for four yards and a quarterback hurry... season high four tackles against San Jose State on Sep.9... season high one sack against Montana State Oct.14...

2022 -- Started four games before suffering season-ending injury in Sacramento State contest ... earned 16 total tackles (10 solo stops) with one tackle for lost yardage against San Diego ... season-high six tackles against South Dakota and five more stops versus both San Diego and Sacramento State ... played in 2023 Spring Game.

2021 -- Started all 11 games as a true freshman at defensive tackle ... earned 28 tackles, including 15 solo stops ... 4.5 tackles for lost yardage, including sacks against Sacramento State and Idaho State ... notched two quarterback hurries versus Northern Arizona and another against UC Davis ... three pass breakups for season ... career-high seven tackles against Idaho State and produced four more in South Dakota game.

High School -- Twice rated by the Sacramento Bee as one of the top returning offensive and defensive linemen in the Sacramento area, Ngaluafe recorded 30 tackles, including four sacks, intercepted a pass, forced three fumbles and recovered three others as a junior under head coach Gabe Jimenez at River City High School in West Sacramento in 2019 ... a 3.5 grade-point average student, Ngaluafe was named to the All-Metropolitan League first team, was named River City player of the year and helped the Raiders to a 4-6 overall mark and a third-place finish in the Metropolitan League ... as a sophomore, Ngaluafe earned 31 tackles, including 5.5 sacks, and forced a fumble on his way to All-Metropolitan League honors and the River City defensive player of the year award .. in pandemic-shortened 2021 spring season, was named to the Sacramento Bee's All-Metro team and also earned All-Metropolitan League honors for the fourth time ... River City was 1-5 in the spring of 2021 ... named to Academic Honor Roll four times ... chose to be a Mustang "because it was the first and only school that offered me a scholarship. I am interested in the academics at the school and I am excited to be a part of the football program. I feel like the defensive line coach (Will Plemons) can really improve my game and make me a better football player on and off the field."

Personal -- Son of Sione Ngaluafe and Ilaisaane Teu ... two brothers ... wants to be a physical therapist ... hobbies include rugby, basketball and playing video games ... born in Sacramento, Calif. ... majoring in kinesiology.

Head coach Beau Baldwin: "He's a true anchor nose tackle and also played on the offensive line as well. He's very versatile, a big man who can move and run. The athleticism he shows for his size is something you can't teach and don't find very often. He also showed his athleticism and versatility by playing rugby. That says a lot about a 310-pound defensive lineman who also plays rugby. The pieces that he brings together is really quite unique and we're excited about him."

Assistant coach James Montgomery: "Josh is a big defensive lineman, nasty, plays at about 330 pounds but has light feet, is really physical and aggressive and really good in the classroom. We project him as a multi-position guy, an interior offensive line or defensive line guy. In our transition offensively, we're getting bigger and longer bodies and we did a good job picking up some length and big long bodies with guys like Ngaluafe, Trachtman and McHarg."