'21 CA DE Devin Auipua (Notre Dame Early Enrollee)

BeauBenken

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Hi guys, sorry for the last thread screwing up. I was able to move most of the old posts from here. We had one post that made it impossible to alter the thread at all.


Thanks for the heads up Crusader.
 

longliveautrydenson

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Given our recent D-line recruiting, we better be batting balls like Barry Bonds by 2022.

Devin Aupiu — 6’6”
Rylie Mills — 6’5”
Jason Onye — 6’5”
Gabriel Rubio — 6’5”
Alex Ehrensberger — 7’3”
 

Luckylucci

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I’m pretty convinced that Balis and Elston will get something out of this guy.

Welcome to ND, Devin! #FTB
 

FightingIrishLover7

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Given our recent D-line recruiting, we better be batting balls like Barry Bonds by 2022.

Devin Aupiu — 6’6”
Rylie Mills — 6’5”
Jason Onye — 6’5”
Gabriel Rubio — 6’5”
Alex Ehrensberger — 7’3”

That cracked me up
 
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BobbyMac

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Welcome aboard!

Xyg3.gif


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Committed ☘️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoIrish?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoIrish</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldRush?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldRush</a> <a href="https://t.co/DEfg2f32Gl">pic.twitter.com/DEfg2f32Gl</a></p>— Devin Aupiu (@aupiu44) <a href="https://twitter.com/aupiu44/status/1336800485269856257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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Luckylucci

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In this article he mentions trying to get Deshun Murrell to ND. Hopefully that’s the word coming from the staff.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oxnard (Calif.) Pacifica linebacker Devin Aupiu has flipped his commitment to Notre Dame from UCLA and he talks about why he picked the Fighting Irish <a href="https://t.co/30nDpZs1bY">https://t.co/30nDpZs1bY</a> <a href="https://t.co/MxOOfq6eSk">pic.twitter.com/MxOOfq6eSk</a></p>— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandonHuffman/status/1336800663313911808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

Irish YJ

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In this article he mentions trying to get Deshun Murrell to ND. Hopefully that’s the word coming from the staff.

If he's a legit 4.3, sign me the F up. Watched his short highlights. Ran pretty well in traffic, and like him catching out of the backfield. Looked kinda tall and skinny, but not tall (5-11/185) lol.
 

Luckylucci

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Notre Dame has flipped 2021 DE Devin Aupiu from UCLA and <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieuyeyama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jamieuyeyama</a> takes a look at what he brings to the Irish. <a href="https://t.co/wZh61iyDp5">https://t.co/wZh61iyDp5</a></p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/status/1336801157134610439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

Luckylucci

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING | Notre Dame has landed a commitment from 2021 Pacifica (Calif.) DE Devin Aupiu. <a href="https://t.co/d3V2qkqCPZ">https://t.co/d3V2qkqCPZ</a></p>— Matt Freeman (@mattfreemanISD) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattfreemanISD/status/1336800829114884097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

Luckylucci

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Rivals_Singer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rivals_Singer</a> breaks down <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a>’s newest commitment <a href="https://t.co/fyyI9xnFrs">https://t.co/fyyI9xnFrs</a></p>— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGInews/status/1336804227772002315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

Irishman77

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This years project. Kelly has been good with these overall. Get thicker and much stronger. Great closing speed and want to.
 

andre784

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I thought the same thing about Foskey and I was dead wrong. Once Foskey put on 25ish pounds it became a no brainer. He's lengthy and explosive just got to get him heavier and improve the hand placements which will no doubt improve his secondary pass rush moves in developing him for the future.
 

BobbyMac

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Freebie from 2019

https://www.vcstar.com/story/sports...up-his-family-name-football-field/4390682002/

Aupiu has lived up to his family name on the football field for state finalist Pacifica

Pacifica defensive end is a third-generation star

by Joe Curley
Ventura

The name on the back of the jersey carries weight in Oxnard.

But it is a load that Devin Aupiu has embraced.

“Growing up, there was a lot of high expectations,” Aupiu said. “But that’s understandable.”

The grandson of Miller Aupiu Sr. and the son of Miller Aupiu Jr. was taught his gridiron lineage from an early age.

Miller Jr., a quarterback and safety, was the 2003 Pacific View League Player of the Year at Channel Islands High. Miller Sr., a quarterback and linebacker, was the 1983 and 1984 Ventura County Defensive Player of the Year at Channel Islands.

Pacifica High's Devin Aupiu, left, talking with Malik Sherrod during a practice earlier this season, is a third-generation football star.
When the Star unveiled its All-Century Team in 2000, Miller Sr. was one of three linebackers named to the 25-man team.

“I’ve heard some crazy stories,” Aupiu said of his grandfather. “I’ve heard he was a one-man wrecking crew.”

Aupiu and his teammates have been writing their own impressive stories during their historic 14-1 season.

With a win over Oakland-McClymonds (12-0) on Saturday in the CIF State Division 2-A State Championship Bowl at Cerritos College, the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 champion can become the first Ventura County public school to win a state championship.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound defensive end has been Pacifica’s top pass rusher, leading the senior-laded Tritons with 11 sacks and 21 tackles for loss as a junior, adding 62 tackles and 12 pass deflections.


“He’s every bit as important to this team as any of the seniors,” Pacifica head coach Mike Moon said. “On third-and-long, having him to get after the quarterback has been pretty huge.”

When needed, Aupiu has also shown the willingness to move inside and compete against the run, despite his lanky frame.

“He’s really done a nice job on passing downs and on running downs,” Moon said. “We run so many different fronts, sometimes he’s playing defensive tackle.”

Playing alongside so many sought-after prospects who have already committed to college programs — like running back Malik Sherrod (Fresno State), linebacker Caleb McCullough (Arizona State) and receiver Kyrie Wilson (Cal Poly) — Aupiu’s high ceiling has already been noticed by the Pac-12 Conference and beyond.


He has been offered scholarships by USC, Utah, Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington State and Kansas. Washington, Oregon and UCLA have also been in contact.

“Devin’s always been pretty big, athletic and understood the game,” Moon said. “He’s learned how to compete and how to win.

“He has all these tools. … If everything pans out, he could very well reach the highest level.”

The king of the team

Rio Mesa High head coach Jimmy Bittner played against Miller Sr. at Camarillo High and was his teammate at Moorpark College.

“He was one of the best athletes that I’ve ever seen play,” Bittner said. “He could do things on the football field that normal people just can’t do.”

Bittner, who also coached Miller Jr. at Moorpark College, experienced déjà vu coaching against Pacifica the last two seasons.

“Devin’s got a motor just like his dad and just like his grandfather,” Bittner said. “You have to block him for a long time or he’ll find a way to make the play on the other side of the field.”

Miller Aupui's No. 44 hangs at Channel Islands High School.
Miller Sr. played well into his 40s with local semipro teams like the Ventura County Cardinals and the West Coast Sharks.

“He did it for so long and he was so dominant,” Moon said.

Former Hueneme High head coach Lui Toilolo spent some time as the offensive coordinator of the Sharks.

“When he stepped on the field, people knew,” Toilolo said. “They all knew of him. He was a field general out there. He had a knack for the ball. He could see the play was going and could meet it with impact, as violent as violent can go. … He was just a man’s man out there.”

Toilolo remembers Miller Sr. making one of the best special teams plays he’s ever seen.

“A returner was running down the sideline with a blocker running by his side,” Toilolo said. “(Aupiu) ends up hitting the blocker so hard he knocked the guy into the ballcarrier and out of bounds.

“That’s when I said ‘Oh my God.’ ”

Moon was a cornerback for the Sharks. At one point, he was teammates with both Miller Sr. and Miller Jr.

“He was the defensive captain and middle linebacker,” Moon said. “It was his defense. … He was the king of the team. Anytime he made contact on the field, you heard a loud smack.”

Moon remembers playing a game in Bakersfield against a team that ran the Wing-T offense. As a cornerback, his responsibilities included warning the linebackers of an impending crackback block.

“I see the receiver go in motion, I see the guard pulling and I don’t yell crack,” Moon said. “That receiver ends up blindsiding Miller Sr. He comes to the huddle and he was so angry with me. That’s a guy I look up to. I respect him. He’s a mentor to me. I just looked at him with big eyes and said, ‘I’m so sorry. That’ll never happen again.’ ”

Moon’s penance for a miscue was a case of beer.

“I was more scared of my middle backer than I was of the team we were playing,” Moon said. “I never ever made that mistake again.”

Breaking the cycle

Aupiu isn’t the first member of his family to be offered a scholarship by USC.

Both his father and grandfather attracted the attention of the Trojans.

He would, however, be the first member of his family to utilize one.

With Miller Jr. on the way, an 18-year-old Miller Sr. elected to take a construction job helping to build hangars at Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu in 1984.

“He had to grow up quick,” Miller Jr. said of his father.

Pacifica High junior Devin Aupiu poses with his father Miller Aupiu Jr. after practice on Wednesday night at Pacifica High.
USC coach Pete Carroll came to Oxnard in search of a replacement for his All-American safety in 2002.

“He said Troy Polamalu is leaving and I’d be a perfect fit,” Miller Jr. said.

But Devin was already on his way.

“I blew that,” Miller Jr. said. “I thought my life was stopping quick. I had to be responsible and go get a job.”

Instead, both Millers starred at Moorpark College with young sons watching from the stands.

“I think about it a lot,” Miller Jr. said. “I try not to talk to him too much about it, because I don’t want him to get wrapped up with what we did. Moon’s doing a great job with him.

“I tell him to keep his focus. There’s going to be time for all the stuff you want to do, bro.”

Miller Sr., 51, hasn’t been able to attend any Pacifica games this season as he recovers from a recent stroke. But he has proudly watched his grandson on film.

“It would be great to see him on the field on Saturdays,” Miller Sr. said. “He’s just got to keep his head on straight.”

Forging forward

While Aupiu knows he’s following in the footsteps of greatness, he’s also been taught to forge his own path.

“I’m the tallest and the longest,” Aupiu said. “My dad has told me to build my style around myself, focus on my strengths and my weaknesses.”

Devin Aupiu leads Pacifica High with 11 sacks and 21 tackles for losses. The Tritons play in the CIF Division 2-A state championship bowl on Saturday at Cerritos College.
He arrived at Pacifica as a quarterback, tight end and linebacker, but Moon moved him to defensive end.

“I like the change,” Miller Jr. said. “It’s perfect for him. He’s big and tall. He’s quicker than a lot of the tackles.

“He’s going to fill out big time. I think he’s still growing. His hands are already way bigger than mine. His reach is 7-1. That’s crazy.”

Miller Jr. is obviously proud of his son’s potential, but he also is reminded of his father’s voice when he and Devin break down a Friday night performance.

“You can always get better,” Miller Jr. said. “That’s the way my dad taught me. He taught me to be the best one out there, and when you think you’re the best, just know there’s some better than you. Keep going.”

Many in Oxnard are excited to see what the latest Aupui does with his potential.

“Watching him grow over the years, his capabilities are boundless,” Toilolo said. “He’s so humble.

“We’re just sitting back, getting ready to watch time unfold and see where this young man ends up. Everything is in front of him.”
 

Luckylucci

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Clash, you are just too fast for me, lol. Came here to post the same.

Bizarre. I wonder if this has anything to do with a possible position switch. But, snaps (at Vyper) were going to be hard to come by for a couple of years. Maybe longer.
 

clashmore_mike

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Clash, you are just too fast for me, lol. Came here to post the same.

Bizarre. I wonder if this has anything to do with a possible position switch. But, snaps (at Vyper) were going to be hard to come by for a couple of years. Maybe longer.

Lol sorry, was just hopping on 247 to read about Vernon and this was the first thread that I saw unfortunately.
 
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