Miami commit Elija Lofton pushing for 4-star teammate SJ Alofaituli: “He’s always telling me they’re building something in Miami”
2024 Miami commit Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman four-star tight end Elija Lofton has wasted no time on the recruiting trail and has been extremely active in his high school locker room, pitching to his teammates on why they should join him and become Hurricanes.
One of his top targets thus far is 2025 four-star interior offensive lineman SJ Alofaituli, who says Lofton is eager to bring more Bishop Gorman players to Coral Gables.
“He’s really trying to get me over there,” Alofaituli told CaneSport. “He’s always telling me they’re building something in Miami, and I don’t doubt it. They’ve got a lot of guys, and my guy Elija committed, so I have to see what it’s about over there.”
Alofaituli, who is the No. 106 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle and the No. 3 interior offensive lineman according to the On3 Industry Ranking, plans to visit Miami soon to see what the Hurricanes have to offer.
“I wanted to take a visit to Miami, and I think they have something really special there,” Alofaituli .”I want to take a visit there, and I will in the future.”
Despite not visiting Miami yet, the 6-foot-3, 270-pounder has legit interest in the program that is looking to bounce back in year two under head coach Mario Cristobal and his revamped staff.
“They have a lot of good guys and think they have something very special going on over there,” Alofaituli said. “They’re trying to rebuild that program to where it was, and that’s something I will definitely look into. There are a lot of good guys on their team, and it’s something I like seeing.”
While Lofton has been heavily involved in Alofaituli’s recruitment to Miami, the Hurricanes staff has also made it known that the the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Nevada in is wanted Miami as well. Alofaituli says Hurricanes offensive line coach Alex Mirabal has been keeping tabs on him for some time now, which is something he loves.
“He always checks in and has a lot of people checking in on me,” Alofaituli said. “It’s always a blessing when I can get on the phone and chop it up with him. He’s a funny dude, but when it’s time to flip the switch, he locks in and focuses on the little things and details.”
Regarding his recruitment, Alofaituli couldn’t name any front-runners or top schools at the moment but knows what he’ll be looking for in a place he calls home.
“I would say education, relationship with the coaches, and just the environment with how things feel,” Alofaituli said. “I think those are the top three things that would make me want to commit to a school.”
CaneSport’s take
Similar to his fellow Bishop Gorman teammate Douglas Utu, who is the No. 1 prospect in Nevada in the 2025 cycle, Alofaituli is taking his time in the recruiting process and is in no rush whatsoever. Although he doesn’t really have any top schools, Miami is a program that he is very intrigued by and hopes to build a connection with as things begin to pick up in his recruitment.
The post Miami commit Elija Lofton pushing for 4-star teammate SJ Alofaituli: “He’s always telling me they’re building something in Miami” appeared first on On3.
