Tackle Kingsley Suamataia Talks Raiders' Antonio Pierce
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce saw some familiar faces at the NFL Combine this week, as the former Arizona State defensive coordinator served as the team's recruiting coordinator for four seasons.
One of the prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class whom Pierce met with during his high school recruiting process was offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia of BYU, who has met with the Raiders.
"Shoot, I go way back with Coach Pierce, who recruited me throughout high school, so I've known him for a long time," Suamataia said at the NFL Combine on Saturday. "He's from the same city that my dad's from, so it's great knowing him and just having a good connection with him."
Suamataia started his college career at Oregon, where he played only one game before transferring to BYU in 2022. He was the team's starting right tackle in the 2022 season before moving over to left tackle for his 2023 campaign.
Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce met with offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia (above) of BYU during his high school days. Pierce had been the recruiting coordinator at ASU.
© Trevor Ruszkowski | 2024 Mar 2
"I can definitely play both [right and left tackle], and I'm comfortable at playing both," Suamataia said.
Suamataia helped lead the Cougars to a top-50 scoring, passing, rushing, and total offense and was named to the College Football Network's All-Independent First Team for his 2023 season.
In regard to improving for the next level, Suamataia said he needs to become "more consistent."
"You can always [have a] lot of stuff to improve on," Suamataia said. "Coming to the team and got to learn as much as I can so I can be that elite tackle that I want to be."
Suamataia entered college as a five-star recruit in the 2021 class. He played at Orem High School, which he helped lead to four straight Utah state championships.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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