Mahelona selects Oklahoma

Bryce Alderton

Jesse Mahelona, a sophomore defensive tackle on Orange Coast

College’s football team, has verbally committed to play for Coach Bob

Stoops at the University of Oklahoma.

Mahelona, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound native of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii,

made official visits to Oklahoma and ASU before making his final

decision.

“There were a lot of distractions at ASU,” he said. “Playing with

the No. 1 defense in the nation will only make me better. Oklahoma is

a tough program and I’m looking forward to competing with the hard

work that got me to OCC.”

The coveted defensive tackle was sought by such schools as Oregon,

Oregon State, Washington, UCLA and Arizona State.

Mahelona earned first-team All-Mission Conference and all-state

recognition last season when he tied for the team lead with six sacks

along with recording 62 tackles, including nine for a loss.

He broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in Coast’s first

game this season and tried to play through two more games before

taking himself out at halftime of a loss to Fullerton Sept. 27. He

made 19 tackles and had three sacks.

The Hawaiian native didn’t need surgery on the foot and expects to

be healed and ready for spring practice.

“I’ve been training in the weight room real hard and have been

riding the bike since I can’t run on my foot yet,” Mahelona said.

Mahelona will begin the spring semester at Oklahoma in January

after receiving his associate’s degree from OCC in December.

He intends to study criminal justice.