FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 12, 2022) – PJ Poutasi may have arrived in Flagstaff last fall after spending four years in the Pac-12 at California, but nothing was guaranteed to him by Northern Arizona's coaching staff.
Selected for the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl following an All-State career at Desert Pines in Las Vegas, Poutasi's resume compiled at one of the top high schools in Nevada spoke for itself. And while Northern Arizona may have had a need along its offensive line, having lost three starters since the 2019 season, Poutasi joined the Lumberjacks looking to earn his starting role.
"Talking to Coach (Bob) Connelly, he said, 'I am not going to give it to you right away' and I knew that. I knew I had to work for it, and so I did," Poutasi said. "I put my head into the playbook, tried to learn the offense inside and out, and glory to God I came out successful with that."
Starting all 11 games for Northern Arizona last fall, Poutasi became a mainstay along an offensive line blocking for a true freshman quarterback and a running back in his first season as the program's starter. The move into a regular starting role would be a transition for Poutasi. Playing in four games for Cal during his career with the Golden Bears, Poutasi waited for his moment.
Now with one last fall season ahead, Poutasi's collegiate career is winding down with this past set of spring practices the final he'd experience.
"It was very refreshing. Playing this game gives me a lot of joy," Poutasi said. "That last game of last season compared to this last spring, I felt more emotions in that last spring practice than the last game out there. Honestly, it's just mixed emotions."
It's been a rapid transition, from newcomer to senior leader, for a player who didn't consider himself comfortable enough to be a vocal leader last fall.
"As the new guy in, you don't want to be that guy," Poutasi said. "'Who is this guy yelling at us? You just came here, shut up.' But as I grew a relationship, I made it a point in my mind to have a relationship with everyone on the O-line and I feel like I've done that. I have a good relationship with everybody and that led to this spring where I became a little more vocal, a little more 'Come on, we can do this.' I know what we are capable of, I've seen what we are capable of."
Northern Arizona ranked 36th in total offense and 29th in rushing offense a year ago as
RJ Martinez and
Kevin Daniels ascended to the top of the conference. Martinez, debuting in Northern Arizona's upset of the Arizona Wildcats, finished with 1,713 yards passing, 14 touchdowns and a 146.4 passer efficiency rating while starting seven games. While Martinez ranked among the top four of most passing categories in the Big Sky, Daniels landed among the best in all of the FCS.
Rushing for 1,146 yards and 6.2 yards per carry, Daniels finished sixth in total rushing yards and third in yards per game as well as 16th in yards per carry. Rushing for 229 yards against Southern Utah and 280 against Cal Poly, Daniels became just the sixth Lumberjack to rush for 200 yards in at least two career games and the first to rush for 1,000 yards since the 2015 season.
Daniels' 280 yards, including a school-record 90-yard run, and five touchdowns to cap off last fall against Cal Poly proved just how dominant Northern Arizona's line can be in 2022.
"I was super proud of that game. We had a rough start in the beginning, it was really slow, but we just needed to click," Poutasi said. "Run after run, it started going. I sat on the sideline after the last drive and I was just looking, this is the start of something special and the start of something new."
With just one of Northern Arizona's five starters graduated from last year's roster and seven others returning with starting experience, including
Jonas Leader and his 27 consecutive starts dating back to 2019, the Lumberjacks are positioned to be one of the conference's best units.
"I feel like this will be another breakout year. Having this much experience coming back, you don't get that. There's at least three or four guys leaving, but to lose only one guy," Poutasi said. "Donny (
Donovan Outlaw) was a great player, love him to death, but the younger guys know it is the next man up mentality. You got thrown into the fire and now you have got to play."
