3-star Graham-Kapowsin offensive lineman Vega Ioane commits to UW
Graham-Kapowsin High School offensive lineman Vega Ioane will head north to Seattle to play Division I football.
The three-star offensive lineman, considered the eighth-ranked player in Washington in the 2022 class by 247Sports.com, announced his commitment to the hometown Huskies on Friday morning on Twitter.
Ioane anchored Graham-Kapowsin’s line this spring at left tackle, blocking for an offense that racked up nearly 450 yards per game — including 247.8 on the ground and 199 through the air — in an undefeated shortened season.
“He’s got the great athletic ability, great feet, long arms, great balance, toughness, he’s mobile, he’s physical and he’s strong,” longtime Eagles coach Eric Kurle said. “The big thing was him learning the game of football. He hadn’t played a lot of it before he got into high school.”
Ioane joined Graham-Kapowsin’s program midway through his freshman season in 2018, and by the following fall, he was starting for the Eagles.
“His sophomore year he just blew up,” Kurle said.
Ioane’s toughness and ability on the field was apparent early on.
“You want that left tackle to be the most athletic of all and we saw so much potential in him,” Kurle said.
Kurle recently wrapped up his 26th season coaching in the state’s high school ranks — and 16th at Graham-Kapowsin — and has coached groups known for their sturdy offensive line play.
Former five-star lineman Foster Sarell, who went on to play at Stanford and recently joined the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent, remains the top lineman Graham-Kapowsin has produced, was the highest-ranked recruit the school has had, and one of the most sought after recruits in state history.
But, as a unit, the group of linemen Kurle has at Graham-Kapowsin now might be the best the program has had since its first season in 2005.
During the shortened spring season, this offensive line, led by Ioane, guided the Eagles to a second consecutive undefeated Class 4A South Puget Sound League title.
“They’re the best, biggest, strongest and most physical line we’ve ever had, all the way across,” Kurle told The News Tribune in February. “And they’re all juniors.”
Along with seven other key linemen returning to Graham-Kapowsin’s rotation this fall, Ioane will resume his role at left tackle as a senior.
He is a two-time 4A SPSL first-team pick on the offensive line and was a TNT All-Area pick this spring.
“He’s one of those kids that has a great personality,” Kurle said. “He’s well-liked, gets a long with everybody, and he’s a good leader. Now that he’s developed as one of the top players, he’ll help others and work with them and try to push them to get better.”
Ioane, who is 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, is projected as an interior offensive lineman at the college level by 247Sports and considered the No. 15 interior offensive lineman in his class nationally by the site.
Ioane had a dozen offers, and chose the Huskies over seven other Pac-12 schools — including Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, UCLA, USC and WSU — BYU, Florida Atlantic and UNLV.
He is the sixth player in the 2022 class to verbally commit to the Huskies, and third lineman, joining three-star O’Dea lineman Mark Nabou and Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) three-star lineman Parker Brailsford.
Lincoln three-star tight end Chance Bogan, Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) four-star wide receiver Germie Bernard and La Jolla (La Jolla, Calif.) three star quarterback Jackson Stratton are UW’s other 2022 commits.
This story was originally published June 11, 2021 at 12:14 PM.
