HONOLULU-Thursday, Utah football junior defensive end Mika Tafua was named as a finalist for the 2021 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award as confirmed by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.

Tafua is one of seven finalists for the award, with the winner to be announced December 22.

Tafua won the 2021 Morris Defensive Trophy of the Year from the Pac-12, the conference’s annual award for the top defensive lineman of the year and also made the All-Pac-12 first team.

Tafua posted 13 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks (25th nationally) on the season for the Pac-12 champion Utes.

Other finalists for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award are as follows:

Washington State sophomore quarterback Jayden De Laura (2,757 yards, 23 TD’s/9 INT’s; 64.5 percent completion percentage)

Maryland junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3,595 yards, 24 TD’s/11 INT’s; 68.4 percent completion percentage)

Oklahoma State tailback Jaylen Warren (1,134 rushing yards, 11 rush TD’s). Warren has also starred at Snow College and Utah State as a collegian. Prior to that, he was a star tailback at East High School of Salt Lake City.

Oregon freshman linebacker Noah Sewell (4 sacks, interception, 2 forced fumbles)

Minnesota senior offensive lineman Daniel Faalele (all-Big Ten Team selection by conference coaches in 2021)

Ohio State senior defensive lineman Haskell Garrett (7 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, TD)