Countdown to Kickoff: No. 57 Keanu Tanuvasa

The UteNation countdown to kickoff brings us today to no. 57, Keanu Tanuvasa. The returned missionary originally signed late in the 2020 class before serving his LDS mission. Tanuvasa saw action in 2022, preserving his redshirt season while also gaining valuable experience.

UteNation Take

Coming out of high school, Tanuvasa weighed in at 268 pounds, so a collegiate strength program was going to serve him well to put on the necessary power for the next level. Flash forward to today and he is a solid 288. Despite still needing to put on a little more weight, he plays bigger than his 6-foot-4 frame. He really puts his basketball background to good use, and combined with defensive tackle coach Luther Elliss’ attacking philosophy, Tanuvasa could develop into a prototype for the system.

Tanuvasa came on strong during spring camp before an injury in the spring game set him back. However, he should bounce back and provide quality depth that the coaching staff will not hesitate to call when needed.

Remembering Tanuvasa’s Recruitment

Tanuvasa was an imposing figure along the Mission Viejo HS’ defensive line, and he held offers from 11 different schools, including Arizona, Boise State, Oregon State, UCLA, and BYU. In the end, the 3-star Rivals rated recruit chose Utah over Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins. He was the only defensive tackle that the Utes took in the 2020 class.