Former Chapin, NM State standout Lama Lavea transfers to Akron

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KTSM) – A former Chapin High School and New Mexico State football standout officially has a new home.

Lama Lavea, a 6’3, 300-pound defensive tackle, committed to Akron, a school in the MAC on Monday, per his social media accounts.

Lavea entered the NCAA Transfer Portal at the end of New Mexico State’s spring practices last month and received quite a bit of interest from other Group of Five schools before settling on the Zips.

After graduating from Chapin in 2019, Lavea played for the Aggies for four seasons. He was a starter and integral piece of NMSU’s defensive line in 2022 for the Quick Lane Bowl champions.

In his final season with NMSU, Lavea had his best year, accumulating 10 total tackles and one sack. He’ll now look to have a similar impact on an Akron team that went just 2-10 in 2022.