Vols 'Up There' For Elite OL Francis Mauigoa Following Visit to Rocky Top
Since Long Beach Poly (Calif.) quarterback Nico Iamaleava committed to Tennessee in March, the Vols have picked up considerable momentum on the recruiting trail. One of the prospects who has picked up recent interest in them is elite IMG Academy (Fla.) offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa. The 6'5", 330lbs offensive mauler discusses his multi-day trip to Knoxville with Volunteer Country.
"Tennessee was unexpected," Mauigoa said of the overall impressions of the visit. "They brought a whole different vibe. They brought a whole different atmosphere and perspective. They changed a lot in my recruitment. They came from not being in my top 13 to being up there with the other schools. Tennessee has improved a lot with the new coaching staff. They are doing a lot of good things. With Coach Elarbee, Coach Golesh, and Coach Heupel, I trust them. I have a good bond and relationship with them. I am still looking forward to building more on that to make the relationship even more strong."
During Mauigoa's first trip to Knoxville, he participated in a scavenger hunt and other fun events with fellow recruits, but his favorite part was the time spent in football conversations with the Tennessee coaching staff.
"Getting to talk to the coaches and meet them in person," Mauigoa said of his favorite part of the weekend. "All of the coaching staff, they are all my dudes. Getting to meet them in person and strengthen that relationship."
"Talk about Coach Elarbee; he taught me a lot of things in just 30 minutes," Mauigoa added of the football conversation. "He taught me so much in those 30 minutes. Those types of coaches are the coaches that I trust because they know and trust what they are doing. They are not just telling us what to do; he also demonstrated to me—those types of coaches I like. Coach Golesh taught me a lot, too. He taught me about how their offense runs and where it comes from, and why they run this offense. I learned a lot. This is the type of offense I want to be a part of because, in this style of offense, I can get as much film as I can on running plays and passing plays. It is a mixture of both. Some offenses run the ball more than they pass the ball, and some pass more than they run, but this type of offense is pretty much balanced."
Mauigoa, much like the Tennessee staff, believes he can play all five positions on the offensive line at a high level. This conversation was an important one of the weekend.
"Yes, sir, that is what we talked about," Mauigoa said of his positional versatility and ability to play all five positions. "I can play all five positions, and that is five opportunities to start a game. That is a lot of opportunities to get your film in because you know the NFL is where the main goal is at. If you can play all, then you have a pretty good chance at succeeding and getting to that next level."
One of the other reasons Mauigoa is considering Tennessee strongly now is his long-standing relationship with Nico Iamaleava. The two had the chance to strengthen their bond even more this weekend.
"We had a great time," Mauigoa said of spending time with Iamaleava and family. "We had a great bond with those guys. We have good chemistry. I have been knowing Nico since freshman year, and the coaches told us that we would fit in good together here. With Nico being a part of the recruiting, that helps Tennessee. As they know, I am trying to block for Nico, but it all comes down to the recruiting and how they'll do stuff with me."
With his first Tennessee visit in the rearview, the Vols definitely made a move for Mauigoa, but just how high is yet to be determined. He will announce his top five on June 4th, then take official visits before entering decision mode.
"I am taking all five official visits in June, so it is going to be a busy month, then I am hopefully planning on committing in July or August. I will commit before my senior season starts," Mauigoa said.
As he takes these five official visits, he knows what he is looking for as a deciding factor.
I will be looking at the relationships,' Mauigoa said of what his decision will come down to. "From the head coach to the offensive line coach to the offensive coordinator. All of these schools on my top five; I have a strong relationship with the head coach, so that really caught my eye. The reality of college football is that coaches come and go, but if I trust the head coach to bring in someone that will help us move on or stay where we are at. It is all about the relationship and trust."