Notre Dame Signs Linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka
Notre Dame has signed 2022 California linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka.
NIUAFE TUIHALAMAKA PROFILE
Hometown: Mission Hills, Calif.
High School: Bishop Alemany
Height: 6-2
Weight: 230
2021 Stats: 126 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, LSU, Florida, Texas, USC, Oregon, Penn State, UCLA, Stanford, Tennessee, Nebraska, Arkansas, California, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon State, Vanderbilt
Recruited By: Marcus Freeman
Player Comp: Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
RECRUITING RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star - No. 94 overall - No. 4 inside linebacker
247Sports: 4-star - No. 187 overall - No. 14 linebacker
Rivals: 4-star - No. 203 overall - No. 8 inside linebacker
On3: 3-star - No. 38 linebacker
Composite: 4-star - No. 156 overall - No. 15 linebacker
FILM ANALYSIS
Tuihalamaka is a physically advanced player that checked in at 6-2 and over 230 pounds as a sophomore. He has no need to add weight, and moving forward it will just be about reshaping his body, adding more weight room strength and adding explosiveness.
As expected, Tuihalamaka is a powerful young defender. He has a thick, strong lower half, which allows him to arrive at the football with force. His length and natural punch allows him to dismiss blockers with ease and also makes him a strong tackler. As his block destruction technique continues to improve his ability to dominate the run game should become elite.
What wasn't expected, however, was how nimble Tuihalamaka is, and how effectively he's able to fit his big body through thin run lanes. He's not a fast athlete from a pure speed standpoint, but he's agile, far more fluid than I expected and he has impressive short-area quickness and explosiveness. As a junior he took a bit of a step back from a quickness standpoint, but he was back on track as a senior, and his numbers were outstanding.
When you combine his agility with his high-level instincts, Tuihalamaka is able to cover a lot of ground and get to the football in a hurry. It's impressive how effectively he times up blitzes and run stunts, and his decision making and instincts against the run are special. In that regards he reminds me a great deal of former Irish star Manti Te'o.
The other surprising part of his game was how effectively he gets depth in coverage, and how well he reads routes and makes plays on the ball when playing zone. Tuihalamaka is a strong blitzer inside, and he has traits that should allow him to be an effective edge rusher, which adds versatility to his game.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Notre Dame doesn't have a lot of thickness and power up the middle on the second level of its defense. There is a need for a thumper inside and Tuihalamaka is absolutely a thumper. He is a great fit for the Mike position, possessing the instincts, power and tackle to tackle range to thrive up the middle. His size and quickness could allow him to develop into a pass rusher role similar to that of Bo Bauer, but he will make his living dominating the run game.
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