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Vakalahi Intrigued by Utah's Pitch

With offers going out during spring and summer recruiting evaluations, there hasn’t been a more intriguing national prospect quite like Sam Vakalahi (East HS). The three-star Vakalahi has racked up offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, Washington and Wisconsin. Vakalahi has had a busy 2017 thus far and is soaking up the process.

“It’s been really fun,” said Vakalahi. “I’m liking it. Just meeting all the coaches. There’s a lot of good coaches out there, getting to know them and how their program is.”

Listed at 6-foot-2 and nearly 300 pounds, Vakalahi is being recruited by his suitors at both offensive guard and defensive tackle, though he says he feels more comfortable on the offensive side of the ball. Thus, the Salt Lake City native speaks regularly to University of Utah coaches Jim Harding and Morgan Scalley.

“I like Morgan and Harding,” said Vakalahi. “Morgan Scalley is a funny dude. His brother is actually our rugby coach, it’s just fun. We talk about how am I doing, how my family is. And then we’re doing this thing where he asks me thirty questions—he asks me a question every day and it’s random. Funny questions and he tells me his answer and I tell him my answer and we just chat about it. Stuff like that. I’ve never thought a coach would just want to ask me thirty questions, one each day, and just like, joke around.”

“Me and Harding talk,” Vakalahi said about Utah’s offensive line coach. “He texts me and the other guys and asks how we’re doing and is like ‘we need to get you up here. We need to get you up here to the indoor facility and just check it out.’ It’s just fun to come up and just enjoy it. It’s fun to always go up there and just hang out with him and always visit the facility and the teammates.”

The state of Utah’s high school class of 2018 is loaded with college-bound talent. East High School is no exception, with four 2018 graduates holding offers from the Utes. Vakalahi and his teammates have spoken about the possibility of playing together, along with standout Tennessee Pututau, who has three cousins that have signed with the Utes.

“We actually have talked about it,” he said. “Scalley came and talked to us one day and said one thing that sticks with all of us is why leave Utah when you can stay home and create your own history or win a national championship at Utah, your hometown? That kind of stuck with all of us and we talked about it. Four of us have been offered by Utah, it’s me, Paul Maile, Junior Angilau, Tennessee Pututau. If we all went to Utah and how fun it would be, getting a house and staying home and the four of us enjoying college together.”

A decision could come as soon as the end of summer for Vakalahi, but as of right now, the Utes have some catching up to do against a Pac-12 foe.

“Washington, Alabama, Tennessee, Utah, Oregon, and UCLA (are standing out),” said Vakalahi. “I don’t have an offer from Notre Dame but I hear a lot from them. I would say that Washington is in the lead. Just because I love the facility. They’ve been there since the beginning and they were my first unofficial.”

Vakalahi will still be taking unofficials over the summer—albeit to SEC powerhouses Alabama and Tennessee. However, the Utes will be in it until the end, especially since Vakalahi said he is looking for a family atmosphere and solid connection with the coaches.

“(It’ll come down to) trying to see if I fit in,” said Vakalahi. “If it’s a family aspect type of team and what the coaches bring to the table, what they want for the program and what they see me doing.”

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