From an ACL tear to earning a scholarship, the Sun Devils lineman is proving walk-ons can change the game.
Every college football fan loves an underdog. At Arizona State, that story belongs to Makua Pule, a walk-on lineman whose path has been anything but easy.
He tore his ACL in high school, weighed in at 300 pounds without the “ideal” frame scouts sought, and faced silence from recruiters. For many players, that would’ve been the end. For Pule, it was fuel.
Pule stayed the course at Highland High, starting as a freshman and helping lead back-to-back state titles alongside Utah’s Caleb Lomu. That foundation of toughness gave him the belief to keep going.
When offers didn’t come, he kept training. ASU assistant Shaun Aguano noticed, extending him a preferred walk-on spot. Pule didn’t waste it, earning respect as a lead blocker in 2024, even lining up at fullback for Cam Skattebo’s goal-line carries.
Finally, his persistence paid off with the biggest reward: a scholarship. It’s validation of years spent working through pain, doubt, and doubt again.
Now, with two seasons left, Pule wants more. NFL dreams fuel him, but so does the chance to prove that no setback can define him. For walk-ons everywhere, he’s proof that belief plus work is enough.
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