MMA fighter turned lineman is fast-rising Annie Wright football recruit, UW commit
Ta’a Malu could barely watch the film from his first high school football game last fall. If he was expecting a flawless debut with his new sport, he was in for a rude awakening.
“It was just like flags, flags, flags,” Malu said during a summer workout on Wednesday at Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma, laughing.
Malu, who was a junior last fall, had never played football before last season. He grew up practicing mixed martial arts — everything from Jiu Jitsu to Muay Thai. His dream since he was a kid was to be a UFC fighter.
But Malu kept growing. And growing, and growing, all the way to 6-foot-3, 285 pounds now.
“My dad told me I’m kinda getting too big (for MMA),” he said.
So Malu decided to play football. His mom, Tahia, is the head volleyball coach at Annie Wright, so Malu decided to enroll at Annie Wright and play for the Gators. Interestingly enough, it was Annie Wright’s inaugural season launching its football program under Mike Finch, who also serves as the high school’s athletic director.
Finch had seen the hulking Malu at some volleyball games but had mistakenly assumed he was an adult.
“He’s so massive that I never thought he was a high school aged kid,” Finch said, laughing.
It took some time to get up to speed with the nuances of football, but Malu was immediately a difference maker on the offensive and defensive lines for Annie Wright, which competes in the 1A classification.
Recruiters have quickly taken notice. Idaho was the first to offer the raw prospect in March of this year, just a few months ago, then it snowballed. Boise State. Nevada. Utah. Arizona. In June, the hometown Washington Huskies offered. Malu committed to UW less than a month later.
“The main thing for me being able to commit to UW is it’s home,” Malu said. “I feel like for me, no (other) place can be home.”
Malu is still green on the football field, but his growth has been obvious to Finch.
“You see an athlete who’s learning how to play football,” he said. “He’s fast, he’s agile, he’s monstrously strong.”
The MMA background has made Malu a problem on the defensive line, where his handfighting skills have smoothly transitioned.
“He can do whatever he wants with his hands,” Finch said. “With his MMA background, his hand manipulation and disruption of opponents’ hands is so much better than anything I’ve ever seen from a high school aged kid.”
And the toughness aspect — Malu isn’t going to back down from anyone.
“Growing up, I always had that ‘no fear’ mentality,” he said. “So going into pads, it was more like fun.”
Finch calls Malu a “gentle giant” and said the other players naturally look up to him. He’s a calming presence in the huddle and keeps his teammates centered.
“To me, that’s been the coolest thing,” Finch said.
Malu is considered a three-star recruit and the No. 19 ranked recruit in the state by 247sports. He projects as a defensive lineman at the next level, likely as a defensive tackle if he puts on a bit more size, but could move around the line with his footspeed and quickness. Malu runs a sub-5 second 40-yard dash, according to Finch.
“Overall, I can play anywhere on the line,” Malu said.
And Finch is enjoying the cornerstone piece to help build the football program around. As far as potential, Malu’s best football days remain ahead.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
