Top Notre Dame Target Titus Mokiao-Atimalala Dominates On And Off The Field
How Notre Dame finishes up the 2021 class will go a long way towards determining just how good the class will be. The Irish staff must close the class out with its top targets, and one of those targets is Ewa Beach (Haw.) James Campbell athlete Titus Mokiao-Atimalala.
Mokiao-Atimalala is a coveted prospect with offers from Michigan, USC, Tennessee, Nebraska, Washington, Wisconsin, Utah, UCLA, California, Arizona State, Virginia, Washington State, Maryland, Arizona and Oregon State.
With all of the recruiting attention and success he has had on the football field during his prep career, it would be easy for him to change his approach and coast, but that is not in Mokiao-Atimalala’s blood. Don’t believe me, just listen to what Campbell head coach Derron Johnson has to say about his star pupil.
“He is one of those guys that when no one is looking, he is working,” Johnson told Irish Breakdown. “It is not just for show with him. He is very focused, whether that be on the field or inside of the classroom. He is a leader in the classroom and on the field as well. Some guys do it with their words, some with lead by example. He is not a look at me kind of guy. He just does it, he practices what he preaches.”
A huge part of Mokiao-Atamalala’s work ethic and maturity at such a young age stems from his family. He has an older brother, Tamatoa, who signed to play at the University of Hawaii, and his parents are blue-collar individuals that work for what they get and provide to their five children.
“Titus comes from a simple, and hard-working family,” Johnson explained. “His older brother paved the way for him, and led him down a good path. He was and still is a good example for Titus, and now Titus has taken the reins from his brother.
“That whole family takes care of each other,” he continued. “Titus, his brother and his three sisters, they all look out for each other. His parents are just good hard working people, and they work hard for what they get. They instill good morals into their kids.”
Everything about Mokiao-Atimalala as an individual off the field carries over onto the field. He is a leader for Campbell, and he’s a playmaker on both sides of the ball. The four-star safety is relied upon to play many different roles for his high school squad.
“He does amazing things at safety, wide receiver, kick returner, punt returner, you name it,” said Johnson. “He breaks the game wide open every time he touches the ball, and you expect something good to happen whenever he is around the football. He turns five yard gains into twenty or more.
“With that said though, he is also a patient player,” continued the Campbell coach. “Some star players always want the ball, and that is not how he is wired. If he doesn’t get the ball for a few plays on offense, he isn’t coming back to the huddle chirping at the quarterback. We know when he gets the ball, he is going to make things happen.”
Mokiao-Atimalala is taking the recruiting process slow, and isn’t feeling rushed into a decision. Johnson mentioned that he will likely narrow his list of choices down to a top five soon, but doesn’t plan on making a final decision until later on in the process. Notre Dame is in a good position at this point, and part of the reason for that, is their willingness to let him try out on offense first. According to Johnson, that is something Notre Dame has preached to him throughout the entire process.
The Campbell star is ranked as the No. 290 player in the country according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
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