Film Don't Lie: Paul Moala
At the high school level, it’s always easier to evaluate a prospect when they play against top competition. If someone is dominant at a powerhouse program like Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, things can be more clear because of the national schedule they play. When someone is from a small school and plays against programs that generally don’t produce much FBS talent, then the evaluation becomes much more difficult.
In that sense, offering and then accepting a commitment from a prospect like Paul Moala is riskier than offering a safety that plays at the 6A level in Miami-Dade County in Florida. But I think there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the Irish are getting a very good player in Moala. In my opinion, his offer list does not reflect his talent or his potential.
He’s a very good football player that I believe is extremely underrated by a couple of services. He has all the traits to be a heck of a safety for the Irish.
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 190
Projected Position: Strong or free safety
ISD Grade: 90 (4 star)
National Average Grade: 85.1 (3 star)
What he does best:
I had the chance to watch Moala closely at Irish Invasion. That’s when he earned his offer from Mike Elko. Honestly, I wasn’t sold he was a legitimate prospect for Notre Dame until seeing him at that camp. He’s a plus athlete for his size and showed smooth feet out of his breaks. I liked how fluid he was when asked to flip his hips and run. He also tracked the ball really well when asked too.
Elko was putting him through some drills individually similar to what an NFL defensive back prospect would be asked to do at the combine. Seeing him do that answered the questions I had about him as an athlete.
Although you don’t get the whole view of it, you can see how he tracks the ball here for an interception.
Having those boxes checked in person as an athlete is really only a small part of the evaluation. The film matters more than anything else and he has showed some impressive traits as a senior. Moala brings that violent element to the game as a hitter.
That is a constant with him. He doesn’t give up anything easy and you can see he already is doing something that Elko and his staff emphasize when it comes to finishing at the catch point to break up the play.
As important as that is the fact that he is a sure tackler. It’s easy to get caught up with other factors, but when a guy comes into your program and you have questions about him when it comes to technique as a tackler, then you know it’s probably going to be a longer process to develop that.
It shouldn’t be a long process with Moala as you can see with this open field tackle.
What he needs to work on:
I’d like to see more of what he can do in man coverage. The level of athletes he will face in this area are obviously going to be better than the ones he has faced. I saw a bit of how physical he can be, but I’d like to see better anticipation and recognition of routes from him.
That’s the kind of thing that will come with time and every thing I have heard about him suggests that he is someone who is intelligent and loves the game. Generally those types of players become really good at those two things can be above average in man even if they are not as fast as the player they may be covering.
Physically, the whole bigger/stronger/faster part of the equation goes without saying. We heard reports that he ran a really fast 40 at Invasion and I don’t think speed will be a big issue for him in the long run. Although he is physical, I think he has the frame to get bigger and play a lot stronger once he gets into Notre Dame’s strength and conditioning program.
I know there were some who said he may end up at Rover, but I think he'll be more of a split the field safety that can drop into the box. There isn't a lot of film of him playing in the box so that it something he will have to adapt to as well and with that learning to become an effective blitzer.
What’s his ceiling?
I think he could help early on special teams before emerging as a starter during his time at Notre Dame. He is pure football player that makes plays in every facet of the game for his high school team. He has returned several kicks to the house this season and blocked a couple of field goals as well.
While I don’t expect him to be returning kicks at Notre Dame, it’s a good indication that he can once again track the ball well and then do some damage if he gets his hands on the football after an interception.
Notre Dame might be going out on a limb with their evaluation relative to how other programs at their level have viewed Moala, but they have to feel very confident that he can be a player for them down the road. That’s what happens when you know you can develop an individual who already shows the necessary traits to be successful at the next level.
I national average ranking might seem way off with my grade, but that is mostly because Rivals has him as a 2 star. I don't even know what to say about that other than they should re-evaluate. ESPN doesn't have him ranked at all, which is pretty typical of ESPN.
He’s a good athlete, a strong tackler, and has a physical edge to his game. Those are all really great pieces of the equation to have in a safety and I think he can develop into a starter for the Irish.