JMU Adds LB Naotala To '20 Class
He appreciated James Madison’s consistent pursuit.
“They were one of the only schools that just kept in touch with me,” Woodside (Newport News) linebacker Seth Naotala said Friday evening.
Earlier Friday, Naotala announced his commitment to the Dukes via Twitter, becoming the 17th pledge overall and the lone linebacker in the class to this point.
The 5-foot-11 defender said his initial interaction with JMU began all the way back in the spring.
“And then they stayed in touch with me all the way through my senior year,” Naotala said.
As a senior at Woodside, he racked up 162 total tackles to go along with 26 tackles for loss, three sacks and three interceptions to earn Peninsula District Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was also a Virginia High School League Class 5 first-team All-State selection, a first-team All-Peninsula District choice and an All-Tidewater first-teamer.
“I’ve been coaching 30 years,” Woodside coach Danny Dodson said. “And in 30 years, I have not coached anybody better than [Naotala], without a doubt. He’s probably the best linebacker I’ve had in 30 years. He’s aggressive. His motor never stops running. He’s got a great attitude.
“And I was shocked he didn’t have FBS opportunities.”
Naotala said he visited East Carolina, Navy, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T and William & Mary, and earned scholarship offers from Delaware State and Howard, before choosing his opportunity with the Dukes.
He took his official visit to JMU last weekend on the heels of an in-home visit from Dukes linebackers coach Bryant Haines on Jan 21. Naotala said Haines became his lead recruiter after former JMU assistant Ryan Smith left for a job at Virginia Tech after the FCS national championship game. Dodson said Smith visited Woodside more than any other college coach in the state, but that running backs coach Matt Merritt was involved in Naotala’s recruitment as well.
“But I like energy Haines brings,” Naotala said. “He’s easy to ask questions to if I’m confused and I think the communication aspect will be good, so I’ll be able to learn a lot from him.”
And Dodson said Naotala is the type of player who will do anything for the team.
Naotala starred at linebacker for Woodside, but was used at tight end, too, and even volunteered to suit up at offensive guard when the Wolverines were in a pinch.
“We were going into our second-round playoff game,” Dodson said. “And I lost my center and my guard the week before. But we were in practice one day, early on in the week, and we were trying to rotate our line and get everything together.
“Seth comes up to me and says, ‘Coach, I’ll play guard if you want me to.’ I looked at ‘em, and he had been playing tight end and linebacker for us, but I said, ‘Really?’ He had no problem and I told him he had to change his number from 9 to 55, and he said, ‘I don’t care, I just want to play.’ I thought to myself, man, you don’t get that kind of guy very often.”
Naotala said he plans to bring the same attitude to JMU while bolstering the linebacker position.
He said: “I’m sideline to sideline and 100 percent, every play. There isn’t a play I won’t give everything that I can.”