Offensive lineman Fou Fonoti, defensive back Tyrone Taylor, defensive tackle Fatu Ulale, defensive end Jake Peppard, and free safety Keith McGill put pen to paper when they signed their Letters of Intent on Feb. 2 for National Signing Day.

Fonoti was given the opportunity to attend one of the 18 schools he received scholarships to.

As he took visits and weighed his options, the offensive lineman narrowed it down to UCLA, Rutgers University and Michigan State University once signing day arrived.

When deciding between three schools completely separated on the map, Fonoti decided Rutgers was too far east for him.

“They say when you go on a trip, it’s all about vibe and that feeling in your gut, and I got a great vibe from them but I just felt in my heart that wasn’t the place for me.”

Fonoti also based his decision on how comfortable he felt during his visits and how family-oriented each school was. He ended up choosing Michigan State.

“I felt like I clicked with the coaches, they showed a lot of commitment and loyalty to me when they left their families just to visit me for a few hours. Everything just made me feel at home, and it all felt right,” he said.

McGill was given numerous offers from prestigious schools but in the end he decided to take his talent to the future PAC-12 conference member Utah.

The La Mirada High School star had not only himself in mind, but his family as well when he decided where his future would take place.

New Mexico State University was pleased when sophomore defensive tackle Fatu Ulale changed his mind about Georgia State University to commit to it.

According to Ulale,  New Mexico being a Div1 school had a great impact on his decision. “[New Mexico State University] is just bigger and better,” he said.  

At 6-foot-3, 250-pounds, defensive end Jake Peppard recorded 77 tackles and ten sacks this season that was noticed and acknowledged by the University of Nevada.

According to Peppard, he chose Nevada because its program was familiar to past programs he has been involved with.

“The reason why I chose Nevada is because it seemed like the program that most resembled the programs I’ve played in the past. The discipline and the tradition of winning really stood out to me and that’s a place that I’ll fit right in with. I’m ecstatic about the opportunity.”

Taylor was given offers by Baylor University, Eastern Michigan University and New Mexico State University.

However, he made up his mind ahead of time, and decided EMU was the right school for him.

Taylor decided to head out of California before other athletes and is currently settled at EMU so he can enroll in classes, participate in spring ball, and prepare for next season as he will start at one of the corner positions.

According to Taylor, it takes hard work and help from the coaches to get to where he is at right now.

Taylor said, “Do your class work, and work hard at practice. Listen to the coaches because they know what it takes to get out.”