Former Iowa State offensive lineman Vaea Ikakoula is transferring to Penn State football, he announced on X on Tuesday. He has four years of eligibility remaining.

Ikakoula was born in Laie, Hawaii, and lived there for most of his life. He won a Hawaii state title at Kahuku High School in 2022 before moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, rising up the recruiting ranks to become a three-star recruit in the Class of 2025, being ranked the No. 122 interior offensive lineman and No. 18 player from Utah by the 247Sports Composite.

He initially committed to Stanford in June 2024, but kept taking visits and was eventually flipped by Matt Campbell and offensive line coach Ryan Clanton on National Signing Day. Both Campbell and Clanton assuming the same roles at Penn State a year later likely influenced Ikakoula’s decision.

The 6’3″, 365-pounder appeared in four games as a true freshman, preserving his redshirt. He started in Iowa State’s final two games as an extra offensive lineman before deciding to enter the transfer portal following Campbell’s departure. He was once again pursued by Stanford in the process, but chose to head to Happy Valley.

He is the fourth Iowa State offensive lineman and the 19th overall import from Ames. He joins Will Tompkins, Kuol Kuol II, and Trevor Buhr in a room that was able to retain several potential starters, including Cooper Cousins, Anthony Donkoh, and Malachi Goodman.