Contenders are emerging for 4-star OT Justin Tauanuu

Huntington Beach (Calif.) four-star offensive tackle Justin Tauanuu holds close to 20 offers. At the moment, he is not planning to announce a commitment until after his senior season.

Tauanuu currently has one official visit scheduled to UCLA in May. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound recruit is also considering one official in the summer, as well as multiple during the fall.

“The culture will be big for me,” Tauanuu told On3. “At Huntington Beach, we are like a big family. That is what I want to be a part of in college. Even if it is during down times, we stick together. I want to be part of that type of team.”

According to Tauanuu, location will play a role in his college destination. That is one reason he is considering the Bruins, who hosted him in January.

“UCLA is close to home and I would be able to visit my family any time if I went there,” said Tauanuu, the No. 117 overall prospect and No. 12 offensive tackle in the 2024 On300. “I am close with coach Tim Drevno and we have a good relationship. He is a nice guy and I can have a person-to-person relationship with him, even though he is a coach. I have had some time with coach Chip Kelly and I like what he is building at UCLA.”

Tennessee, Stanford and USC are also standing out to Tauanuu

Tauanuu’s most recent visit was to Tennessee in early March. He likes how the future of the Volunteers “looks really good.”

“They have Nico (Iamaleava) coming in and they have some other top recruits coming in,” Tauanuu said. “I spent time with coach (Glen) Ellarbee and coach (Kevin) Pendleton on my visit. They are nice guys, they treated me really well and the hospitality was great. It is on the other side of the country, but I could see myself playing there.”

Stanford is also pushing hard for Tauanuu. He plans to visit the Cardinal for the first time in April and talks with co-offensive line coach Viane Talamaivao every week.

The California native likes how Stanford’s education is “top-notch.” Meanwhile, he is also seeing USC next month and hopes to receive an offer from the Trojans.

“If USC offers, it would be a pretty big one for me,” Tauanuu said. “They have shown a lot of interest, so if they offer, that would put them in the mix. I have never visited USC before, so I am ready to see what it is like.”

The post Contenders are emerging for 4-star OT Justin Tauanuu appeared first on On3.