Four-Star Defensive Tackle Victory Vaka Places Michigan In Top 5

After a productive junior campaign saw Westlake Village (Calif.) High four-star defensive tackle Victory Vaka rack up 64 tackles and five sacks, the highly coveted defensive prospect felt it was time to narrow down his recruitment over the weekend.

Using Twitter, Vaka posted a graphic that shows Michigan among his top five schools. Oregon, Florida, Florida State and Texas A&M also made the cut.

With the Wolverines firmly in the running to land Vaka’s services, the 6-3, 325-pound defensive lineman is in the middle of a turbulent time when it comes to scheduling his visits. Vaka had planned on taking upcoming trips to both Oregon and Florida, but it appears that those stops will come later in the year.

“I talked it over with my family, and the feel like it was the right time to (select my top five),” Vaka told Wolverine Digest. “I have some visits coming up, but due to this virus some of them will be delayed, so we feel like it would be the right time to do it right now.”

Vaka was slated to visit both Oregon and Florida next month, but the California recruit will fit those trips in later down the line. Vaka outlined when he will be on campus for each of the schools in his newly-named top five.

“Florida was an official visit April 18th for their spring game, but we’re going to have to reschedule that,” Vaka said. “Oregon is this upcoming month and it was an unofficial. I’ll be taking Michigan for an official visit June 19. Oregon September 12 is going to be my official visit, and then Texas A&M is going to be during my season for the official visit.”

Ranked as the No. 12 defensive tackle in the country by 247Sports.com, Vaka is one of the top interior lineman in the country, and Michigan is pushing hard for his pledge. As a whole U-M has several factors that appeal to Vaka at this stage in his recruitment.

“I really like Coach [Shaun] Nua, my primary recruiter, and the opportunity to play early,” Vaka said. “They signed zero defensive tackles this past class in 2020. I feel that if I can come in and work hard and do what I’m supposed to do and listen to Coach Nua, then I can come in and be in the starting rotation from day one.”

Regarding his relationship with Nua, Vaka says the two speak regularly, and he also has grown a fondness for U-M defensive coordinator Don Brown, and Brown’s aggressive style is one that is attractive to Vaka.

“We are in regular communication,” Vaka said. “I talked with (Nua) and Don Brown, the defensive coordinator. That’s the type of coach I want to be coached by. I know he can help me become a really good football player.”

Vaka mentioned that he is not married to one specific position and could play anywhere along the defensive line if need be, but he is leaving that up to the U-M coaching staff if he winds up at Michigan.

“If they decide to run a 3-4, I would be the nose,” Vaka said. “If they go with a 4-3, I will be one of the interior guys. I can play anywhere on the defensive line— over the center, in the A-gap, above the guard, the C-gap and possibly even end.”

Since Vaka holds scholarship offers from across the country, distance from The Golden State is certainly not a factor that weighs heavily on his decision.

“Distance, when I got my first offer as a freshman, I automatically crossed out distance from home,” Vaka said. “It’s not a factor in this process as of right now. I can play anywhere, so I can play in any conference...distance from home is not a factor for me. I just want to go where I can maximize my opportunities.”

That said, Vaka is anxious to check out Ann Arbor this summer. Last year, Vaka had planned on visiting Michigan for its game against Ohio State, but the four-star had to change his plans due to a family emergency. This time, Vaka will be looking to further the relationship he has built with the Wolverines coaching staff during his official visit.

“Just building a relationship with coaches and getting an in depth look at the facilities, the school and getting a tour of the school,” Vaka sad. “I want to see the academic centers and how I could benefit getting a degree from a great academic university like Michigan.”

Nua plans to be an early enrollee, meaning he will have one extra semester to integrate with the football team of his choosing and will be committing to his future school after his senior season at Westlake High wraps up.