Why 4-Star Recruit Bott Mulitalo De-Commits From Oregon Ducks: Washington, USC Push For Flip

The Oregon Ducks have lost a commitment from 4-star recruit Bott Mulitalo from the class of 2026. The Washington Huskies, USC Trojans, BYU Cougars and Utah Utes are pushing to flip Mulitalo from Lanning's Ducks. Mulitalo has changed the position he wants to play in college from defensive line to offensive line.

Oct 28, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks with Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning before a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks have lost a commitment from 4-star recruit Bott Mulitalo from the class of 2026, according to a report from 247Sports. The Washington Huskies, USC Trojans, BYU Cougars and Utah Utes are pushing to flip Mulitalo to their respective programs.

What caused the Highland (Utah) Lone Peak talent to decommit from Oregon coach Dan Lanning's Ducks? Mulitalo has changed the position he wants to play in college from defensive line to offensive line, causing him to reevaluate his options.

Oct 28, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks with Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning before a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

"I committed to Oregon for defensive line but since that has changed I now want to see where I'm evaluated and which schools will be recruiting me for the offensive side," Mulitalo told 247Sports.

"After a lot of conversations, I am going to be putting my energy toward offensive tackle," Mulitalo continued. "It's the position where I believe I have the highest potential, especially when you look at what other Polynesian players have been doing in college to get to the NFL. That's my ultimate goal and my biggest objective.

With the switch to offensive line, Mulitalo's de-committment doesn't come as a huge shock. Oregon has retooled its offensive line, headlined by five-star offensive tackle commit Kodi Greene. The Ducks are also among the finalist schools for the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked offensive tackles in the class of 2026, Jackson Cantwell and Immanuel Iheanacho.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound lineman Mulitalo will be a hot commodity on the recruiting trail. Mulitalo committed to Oregon in December of 2024. He is the nation's No. 90 overall prospect, No. 8 among offensive tackles and No. 3 in the state of Utah for the 2026 class, per the 247Sports rankings.

Mulitalo has a looming visit to USC this June.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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He also has ties to the Washington program. The Huskies defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi is Mulitalo's uncle and he visited for their Junior Day event.

"The biggest takeaway for me from Washington is how much attention to detail they put in everything, whether it's nutrition, film study, or even strength and conditioning," Mulitalo told 247Sports. "My interaction with the staff was great. I got to meet the rest of the staff that just got there and got to talk more with the strength staff and nutrition staff more, too, and I felt like a top priority to them."

En route to the Utah 6A state championship game in 2024, Mulitalo finished the season with 45 total tackles, including 16 for a loss, six sacks and an interception.

Of course Utah and BYU will have a strong pull as the "hometown" teams.

USC currently has the No. 1 recruiting class for 2026 in the nation and the Ducks sit just behind at No. 2. 

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