Countdown to Kickoff: No. 96 Tanoa Togiai

It’s now 96 days until kickoff for the University of Utah and today’s focus is on. Tanoa Togiai. The native of Rigby, Idaho had seen a massive growth spurt over the last couple years as he was once a 6-foot-6 and 265 pound defensive end prospect.

Tanoa signed at around 295 pounds and has since shot up to 310. He didn’t see any action during the 2020 season, but he was showing flashes of dominance when he arrived on campus. He’ll be in a heated battle for rotation reps for the 2021 season, but as already noted in previous countdown articles, he’s part of one of the most loaded positions on the Utah roster.

UteNation take

Togiai not only brings imposing size, he’s also maintained the athleticism he once showed as a defensive end. He played basketball in high school. A strong summer of development could lead to a golden opportunity for him in fall camp, as there’s arguably no concrete starter out of an impressive group of defensive tackles.

The most likely scenario is that he forces his way into the rotation a fourth of the way through the season. However, he has the measurables and skill set to become a force and a mainstay on the line, sooner rather than later. He’s a sleeper to keep an eye on during fall camp and once the season begins.

Alex remembers Togiai’s recruitment

Defensive ends coach Lewis Powell was on Togiai early in the recruiting process and that paid off in landing the 6-foot-6 and 295 pound 5.5 rated three-star 2020 weakside defensive end prospect. Had Togiai had more exposure and played against tougher high school competition, it’s likely that he would have been at minimum a high three-star and highly-rated end.

Kansas State, Washington and Nebraska all received visits from Togiai, with the Huskers holding out some late hope. However Togiai had long been a Utah lean and his relationship with Powell couldn’t be beat.