Arizona Football had a busy day as they signed all of their commits on National Signing Day, which also included flipping Wazzu commit Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei.
National Signing Day is here, and once again Arizona Football had an eventful day as the Wildcats had a few signing day surprises which included flipping former Wazzu commit, Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei.
On the heels of picking up a commitment from Miami Palmetto High School athlete Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine, Ta’ita’i was one of the few surprises the Wildcats received on the day, as the former Wazzu commit flipped his pledge to Arizona.
Picking the Wildcats over offers from Washington State, UNLV, and Utah State, Ta’ita’i is one of 20 commitments/signings in the class of 2022 for Arizona and he is a solid, late addition for the Cats.
Hailing from the talented Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA, Uiagalelei comes in as a three-star Edge Rusher for 2022, and he is ranked as the No. 1,502 overall recruit as well as the No. 77 overall player for his position.
Coming into this recruiting cycle, it was clear that Arizona Football needed help on defense, and by adding Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, he should help the Cats immensely.
Standing a sturdy 6-feet-4-inches and weighing roughly 255 pounds, Ta’ita’i is a talented and athletic kid with a big frame and big potential.
He is a standout edge rusher at Mater Dei High School and was a big part of that defense’s success as he accounted for 18 tackles (13 solo), 6.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery in nine games played according to Maxpreps.
Often working out of a 3-technique, this is a player that can be moved anywhere along the defensive line and still find success. On film, he shows good explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and does a great job of creating disruption in the backfield.
Beyond that, he’s strong, physical, and plays with a bit of a mean streak that has been desperately needed along the defensive line! Overall, I think the Wildcats got a good player with plenty of upside!