(Photo Courtesy of Tausilinu’u Akana/Twitter)
UCLA Football Sends Offer to Top Utah Prospect Linebacker Tausilinu'u Akana
The Bruins aren't content in adding to their front seven via the transfer portal – they're making a push to bolster it from the high school ranks as well.
UCLA football sent a scholarship offer to class of 2023 linebacker Tausilinu’u Akana on Saturday, the high school junior announced on Twitter. Akana is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound outside linebacker and edge rusher out of Skyridge High School (UT).
Akana also has offers from Utah, BYU, Hawaii, Arizona State, UNLV, Oregon State, Utah, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Washington State, Ole Miss, Colorado, USC, Washington, LSU, Wisconsin, Arizona, Cal, Mississippi, Texas, TCU, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Virginia, Oklahoma, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, Miami (FL), Penn State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Alabama, Michigan State and Nevada.
UCLA have four linebackers and edge rushers set to join the roster next fall – recent signee Jalen Woods, Hawaii transfer Darius Muasau, Washington transfer Laiatu Latu and commit DeAndre Gill. Latu and Muasau committed to the Bruins on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Akana wouldn't arrive on any campus until after next season, but he would be a major addition to the Bruins' linebacking corps regardless of the timeline.
The 247Sports Composite, Rivals and ESPN all have Akana pegged as a four-star recruit, with the 247Sports Composite and ESPN both have him as the No. 1 player in the state of Utah. Had he stayed to play his high school ball in Hawaii instead of moving to the Beehive State during COVID-19 shutdowns in his hometown, he would have been the unanimous top player in Hawaii.
Among edge rushers, the 247Sports Composite has him at No. 5, while Rivals has him as the No. 5 outside linebacker and ESPN has him at No. 8. Akana ranks No. 50 in his class overall, according to the 247Sports Composite, with Rivals slotting him in at No. 60 and ESPN down at No. 107.
Akana racked up 78 tackles, 28.0 tackles for loss, 13.0 sacks, 23 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in 12 games at Skyridge this season. Akana is one of seven players who has already committed to playing in the 2023 Polynesian Bowl, and the Bruins have offered four of them scholarships thus far.
Akana's sisters play volleyball at Nebraska and Hawaii, his mother also played volleyball at Hawaii and his father played basketball at BYU-Hawaii.
While Akana doe not have any familial connections to UCLA, he does have some pretty concrete ties to the program. Outside linebackers coach Ikaika Malloe, who UCLA recently hired away from Washington in December, grew up in Hawaii and went to the Kamehameha School (HI) – before transferring to Skyridge, Akana went to that same school.
Washington offered Akana when Malloe was still on the staff in Seattle.
Akana had an unofficial visit to UCLA in July under the previous rendition of the defensive staff, but he went nearly six months between then and securing an offer. In that span, Akana picked up offers from more than 10 other FBS
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