UCLA Football, Jim Mora Get Commitment From Four-Star Ainuu Taua
Nov 2, 2013; Pasadena, CA, USA; General view of the UCLA Bruins equipment truck at the Rose Bowl before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
One thing recruits like, is stability. Another thing is success in the program. In this day in age, it is also important to show recruits that a school will do what it needs to have the top program around. This past week has showed all of this and more as the Bruins head in a positive direction, especially with head coach Jim Mora overseeing things.
One recruit saw the light and is the next top recruit to commit to UCLA.
UCLA Lands 4-Star DT (via http://t.co/bTWm2dY8uJ) http://t.co/C7peRKINpS
— Bueno (@MuyBu3no) December 10, 2013
Bruins, meet Ainuu Taua.
The father of four-star DL Ainuu Taua sent me this photo of the Tauas celebrating the Bruin commitment today: pic.twitter.com/YNsdbt99rj
— Edward Lewis (@Edward__Lewis) December 8, 2013
Taua is a 6’1”, 270 lbs., four-star defensive tackle from Lompoc, CA that is listed as the 10th best in the nation at his position. He had seven sacks and 36 tackles for Lompoc this season. With his commitment, that makes 13 sold on the Bruins going into next season.
The truth about recruiting is that it is not final until the National Letter of Intent is signed. Heck, commits can flip, soft verbals will make coaches run hurdles and poaching a recruit can easily happen to you. Even Dr. Seuss can write a book on college football, that much is understood. But there is something different about Taua, the combining of the two feels right.
“UCLA is close to home and the coaches love me.” –Ainuu Taua
That is not arrogance, Bruin fans, that is mutual love. An equal respect for the game. The bottom line is that Taua sees what Mora is doing at UCLA and the fact that Mora is going after him speaks volumes. Taua took his official visit to UCLA this past weekend and committed on the spot. That is commitment.
As for fitting in, the bad news is that the Bruins will lose Cassius Marsh and Keenan Graham. The good news is that UCLA has Kylie Fitts, Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Eddie Vanderdoes returning, so the addition of Taua could not be better timed.
Stay tuned for more recruiting updates from GoJoeBruin.com!
Mike W.R.
Twitter: @TheBigDisco