Hawaii Transfer Defensive Lineman Jonah Laulu Earns Offer From UCLA Football

One of the most coveted linemen in the transfer portal has already fielded offers from Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU and USC.

Power Five teams are lining up for a top transfer prospect, and the Bruins have added their name to the list

UCLA football sent an offer out to Hawaii transfer defensive lineman Jonah Laulu on Wednesday, he announced on Twitter. Laulu entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, and he has two years of eligibility remaining.

Laulu has also received offers from Miami (FL), Washington, Cal, USC, Georgia, LSU and Oklahoma in his first 24 hours in the portal.

Through four seasons at Hawaiii, Laulu accumulated 77 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and six quarterback hits in 36 games after redshirting his true freshman year. As a starter in 2020 and 2021, Laulu took a leap and became one of the Rainbow Warriors and Mountain West's best at getting behind the line of scrimmage.

Against UCLA on Aug. 28, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Laulu was the only player on his team to get to the quarterback, picking up 2.0 sacks in the Rose Bowl that afternoon.

Laulu went to Centennial High School (NV) in Las Vegas, and his only other offer as a recruit was from UNLV. Laulu was a two-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite, ranking as the No. 2,582 player in the class of 2018, the No. 201 athlete and the No.  17 player in Nevada.

In his senior year of high school, Laulu totaled 26 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and a 78-yard scoop-and-score in six games, also picking up 182 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions.

Laulu has come a long way since then, now garnering attention from several big-time programs rather than going largely under the radar.

UCLA may be in need of defensive linemen, or at least they were Tuesday for the Holiday Bowl. Before the game was canceled, the Bruins were thin up front – Otito Ogbonnia opted out due to injury and preparing for the NFL Draft, Quintin Somerville and Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi have been hurt all year, John Ward and Tyler Kiehne entered the transfer portal and Tyler Manoa and Jay Toia were caught in COVID-19 protocols.

Manoa and Martin Andrus Jr. have both already announced they are returning for 2021, but with Ogbonnia going to the draft, Datona Jackson out of eligibility and Ward and Kiehne in the portal, Laulu would be a welcome addition. The Bruins did not add a defensive lineman during the early signing period, further highlighting the need up front.

UCLA is also pursuing Duke transfer defensive lineman Gary Smith III.

Whoever ends up joining the Bruins will be playing under defensive line coach Chad Kauha’aha’a, who UCLA poached from UNLV just before Christmas. Kauha’aha’a has previously coached at USC, Wisconsin, Utah and Oregon State, producing NFL talent along the way.

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