2: NT Ngalu Tapa
Tapa is a beast that the Cougs hope to turn loose as he enters WSU camp this Fall. In a recent interview, this 6’2″, 314 pounder (up 34 lbs by the way from his high school listed weight) said that his goal is to “just make a name for myself and show what I’m about here.”
That would be great because Tapa was a big-time coup for this Leach recruiting class (vastly underrated and unheralded because of an arrest after his junior season (don’t worry Leach did his homework on this one)) and at three bills fourteen easily becomes the biggest mammoth on the DL. A rotation that included Kalafitoni Pole (301 lbs) at starter, Robert Barber and himself would be a major, major bonus to this Cougar defense that got worn down towards the end of last season.
If he can play in college anything like his high school tape shows, his name will be all over campus. Not only is he quicker-than-quick off of the line, but he also has a relentless motor and often chases plays down from behind just to get a piece of the hit on the ball-carrier. The kid had 23-plus sacks his senior season and is one of at least three of these guys that I expect to be looking at some sort of Pac-12 Freshman honors at the end of the season.