Texas signee Tausili Akana recaps recruitment, preparation for Austin
For Lehi (Utah) Skyridge EDGE and On3 four-star Tausili Akana, picking Texas was the best decision for him.
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The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is a native of Kahuku, Hawaii. He played his freshman season at Kamehameha High in Hawaii, his sophomore season at Wasatch High in Utah, and then closed his career at Skyridge in 2021 and 2022.
After a fantastic senior season, Akana picked the Horns on National Signing Day and never looked back. Why Texas for the Hawaii native?
“The defensive scheme Texas does,” said Akana. “I like what they do with their Jacks. I like the coaches and I feel comfortable working with them. I like where Texas football is headed. I like the city of Austin and I like the idea of having my older sister near by.”
His older sister, Keonilei Akana, was a volleyball player at Nebraska after being named the Hawaii player of the year as a senior in high school. She transferred to Texas over the offseason and helped the Horns capture the 2022 National Championship two weeks ago in Omaha.
Relationships are key in most recruitments. The way Akana became closer to the Texas staff had a lot to do with his decision.
“I had a great official visit with my family,” said Akana. “My relationship started with Jake Langi, then I got close with Coach (Jeff) Choate, (Pete Kwiatkowski), and Coach Sark. They really did an awesome job recruiting my family and me.”
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Fellow Kahuku native and close friend Liona Lefau also joined UT’s Class of 2023. Did Lefau help UT’s recruiting efforts?
“Yes, of course,” Akana said. “To have another Hawaiian native on the team is awesome.”
Akana joins a loaded linebacker and EDGE group with Lefau, Colton Vasek, Derion Gullette, Billy Walton, and Anthony Hill Jr. in Austin for 2023.
Akana ranks as the No. 102 prospect and No. 17 EDGE in the country per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks Akana as the No. 286 player, the No. 30 EDGE, and the No. 2 prospect in Utah.
The four-star has an On3 NIL Valuation of $115K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
