Michael Uini has emerged as one of the top offensive tackles in the 2024 class

Copperas Cove (Texas) four-star offensive tackle Michael Uini didn’t grow up a big college football fan but he has started becoming more acquainted with the sport recently.

Since earning his first offer from Texas Tech in March, he has accumulated 20 more offers and gone on six visits.

The No. 23 overall recruit and No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2024 On300 ranking, Uini camped at each school in addition to visiting. The six visits were his college visits.

“I don’t want to just go to a school because they are good at football,” Uini told On3. “I want to play for coaches that care about the players and will take care of me if football doesn’t work out. The bond with the coaches and the players will be very important for me. With me starting to get out, I will learn a lot more about the schools and recruiting.”

He went on visits to four in-state schools, including Baylor. Waco is about one hour away from Copperas Cove.

“I like the relationships between the players and the coaches at Baylor,” Uini said. “They have fun, they communicate well with each other, and I liked that a lot. I have been there three times. I have been for a visit, the spring game, and a camp, so I have seen Baylor a lot. The coaches make the atmosphere fun and I like it there.”

Copperas Cove is also about an hour away from Texas, where he has been twice.

His plans for the fall is still up in the air but he is planning on being in Austin for the clash between the Longhorns and Alabama.

“I have visited Texas two times and I love the coaches there,” Uini said. “Coach Flood and coach Sarkisian really make me feel comfortable. On TV and the news, coach Sarkisian seems strict and about business, but getting to know him, he is chill and laid back. I like what he and the coaches are doing at Texas.”

The other in-state schools he saw were TCU and Texas A&M. Uini said he likes the facilities the program is building in Fort Worth and the coaches.

For the Aggies, he highlighted offensive lineman coach Steve Addazio.

“I took my first visit to Texas A&M this summer and I like the way coach Addazio coaches and cares for his offensive linemen,” Uini said. “He showed me a lot when I was there about who he is. Coach Addazio really wants the best for his players and I love that.”

He visited to out-of-state schools during the summer, starting with a trip to Alabama.

“When we went to Alabama for camp, we were told coach Saban loves watching his recruits workout first before making the decision on offering,” Uini said. “The workouts they had us doing were brutal, so I could definitely tell why Alabama is such a powerhouse in the SEC. I really loved the way coach Wolford coaches. It’s like you can tell he definitely loves his team and players. He only wants the best for them. Me and my dad loved Alabama.”

His final visit of the summer was to the defending national champion Georgia at the end of July.

“Georgia really stood out to me,” Uini said. “I did some camp stuff with the coaches, but it was also a fun day with some games and things like that too. I played games, I got a tour of the campus, and it was a good experience for me. The atmosphere, the energy, and the vibe – I loved all of it at Georgia. Being on campus at a hotel, I could see the fans and how much they love Georgia. The overall atmosphere there was really good.”