On the first play of Paula Vaipulu’s first career start at Georgia Tech, he ended up on the ground, courtesy of a Pittsburgh defensive lineman. On the second, the second-year freshman guard appeared to be crossed up by a defensive-line stunt, enabling Panthers defensive lineman Deslin Alexandre to have a free shot at quarterback Jeff Sims. Alexandre tipped Sims’ pass, leading to an interception. (Vaipulu did make the tackle on the return.)
Things have gone considerably better in games since. Vaipulu has started the past two games at left guard, playing nearly all of the snaps, holding his own and showing promise. He’s expected to get his fourth career start Saturday at Miami.
“Paula is going to be a really special player,” offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said. “He just runs into people, and they fall down.”
Patenaude referenced a play from the Virginia Tech game Saturday when that actually happened.
“Paula came off the block, and he hit the kid, and the kid literally got lifted off the ground,” Patenaude said.
In the Jackets’ loss to the Hokies, Vaipulu effectively protected Sims in the pocket, holding his ground against charging defensive tackles. He showed better awareness in handling line stunts such as the one that overmatched him in the Pittsburgh game. He has to develop consistency in both run blocking and pass blocking, but he has shown his ability. On running back Jahmyr Gibbs’ 61-yard run in the fourth quarter, Vaipulu lined up across from Hokies defensive tackle Josh Fuga, who charged into the gap between Vaipulu and center Mikey Minihan.
Vaipulu locked into Fuga and drove him right, putting him on the ground as Gibbs took Sims’ handoff and raced through the opening created by Vaipulu and left tackle Devin Cochran, sprinting untouched downfield.
It was not the first time that being between Minihan and Cochran, with 64 starts between them, has been a help. Patenaude said that Cochran has taken Vaipulu under his wing.
“So he’s super powerful and he’s athletic for a big guy,” Patenaude said of Vaipulu. “What you don’t have is experience. What the combination of having Minihan on one side and Devin on the other side of him (enables) is we say, ‘Hey, listen: What they tell you to do, you do.’”
Vaipulu is the second of the Jackets’ five offensive-line signees from the 2020 signing class to make an impact on the field. He follows right tackle Jordan Williams, who has been a starter since the first game of the 2020 season. Vaipulu, a three-star prospect from the Houston area, picked Tech over Houston, Nebraska, Missouri and Boston College. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds, he’s distinguishable for the long dark hair that extends from his helmet.
Vaipulu started against Pittsburgh because of an injury to left guard Kenny Cooper, but started against Virginia and Virginia Tech even as Cooper has returned to health.
Right guard Ryan Johnson credits the instruction of offensive-line coach Brent Key and Vaipulu himself for his improvement. While noting that he “still has got a long way to go,” Johnson also sees the potential for Vaipulu to get there.
“Paula is a bull on the field, and I’m really proud of the player that he’s becoming and has become,” Johnson said.
