Heel Tough Blog: True Freshman DL No Longer With the Program
The Tar Heels fell in Kenan Stadium on Saturday night to the No. 1 team in the country, the Miami Hurricanes and have gotten some disappointing news today to pair with it.
As first reported by Inside Carolina, true freshman defensive tackle Viliami Moala is no longer with the football program following the Miami game. Moala had been inactive for the majority of games this season after being in uniform for the season opener against TCU. By all indications, he was buried on the depth chart after reportedly spending most of the preseason taking fourth team snaps at defensive tackle.
Moala, the No. 526 overall prospect and No. 56 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, was a highly-regarded piece of the big class that the Tar Heels brought in during this past recruiting cycle along the defensive front. In his senior season with Thompson High School in Alabaster, AL, Moala finished with 66 total tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and seven quarterback hurries. In 11 games the previous year at Bingham High School in South Jordan, UT, he finished with 99 total tackles, 22.0 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 35 quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and a forced fumble on his way to earning 6A first team all-state honors. As a sophomore at Davis High School in Kaysville, UT back in 2023, he collected 39 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
While Moala had not been factoring in this season, this was someone that was expected to factor into the future of this defensive line room. He was expected to be a big part of the team's efforts to stop the run, an area that they will have to improve in future years under Bill Belichick. The good news is that the team still has Trashawn Ruffin, who brings a similar body build and skill set as Moala, along with Vodney Cleveland and Jimmy-Phrisco Alo-Suliafu.
Comments