Bo Davis has Texas in strong position with Utah commit Isaia Faga
“Texas has Isaia’s attention and will most likely be one of Isaia’s five official visits…”
That was the last sentence in my February article on 2024 target Isaia Faga after he attended Texas’ Junior Day with his mother, Leta. Isaia informed me then that he absolutely planned on saving an OV for Texas, but I wanted him to officially share that information when he was ready. Faga did that earlier this week, telling our Gerry Hamilton he would be in Austin for an official visit on June 16.
Getting out-of-state recruits and their families on campus multiple times can be difficult. Isaia’s attendance at last weekend’s Orange-White Game with his father, Faauo, was definitely a win for defensive line coach Bo Davis. Faauo is an Army Ranger who will be deployed soon and will not return on the June OV. Needless to say, Texas needed to earn some trust.
The Fagas met with Steve Sarkisian for quite some time before the spring game. In fact, their conversation lasted so long, it actually bled into time allotted for a team meeting. Sarkisian easily could’ve shaken Faauo’s hand and rushed out of the visit. Instead, Sarkisian delayed the team meeting for more time with the Fagas, which definitely impressed Faauo.
Equally as impressive was Davis including the Fagas in the pregame position meeting and then spending time with Davis after the game. Faauo is a coach’s son and a former D1 player himself, so he can spot a true developer when he sees one and Davis clearly checks that box. Davis cleared his post-game schedule for the Fagas and that did not go unnoticed.
This trip was about Davis proving that he was the type of man that could be an extension of Isaia’s father who is a strong-bodied alpha male Samoan. Faauo is personable, well-spoken, and easy to talk to but make no mistake about it – he was sizing up Davis.
Utah defensive line coach Lewis Powell was the first coach to offer Isaia, who has been committed to the Utes since December. But Powell is not “Coach Powell” to Isaia. He’s “Uncle Lui.”
Isaia’s mother, Powell, and I are first cousins but there is no translation for the word “cousin” in the Tongan language. We don’t refer to each other as cousins – we are raised as siblings. In fact, for a time, Powell and Leta grew up together in my grandfather’s home in Tonga. When Powell played for Utah in the early 2000s, he gave his letterman jacket and bowl rings to Isaia’s grandfather who was a father figure to Powell. When I say there isn’t a defensive line coach in the country who will love Isaia more than Powell, that is real talk.
That’s what Bo Davis is up against. It’ll be tough to beat.
I’ll say this though – Davis is one helluva recruiter himself and closing the gap between he and Powell. Davis also has former Alabama and NFL veteran Nico Johnson who serves as Davis’ graduate assistant. Johnson is someone Isaia already sees in a big brother-type role. It’s a great one-two punch.
Isaia’s OV will be his third time on the Forty Acres in six months and he’s only been to Utah once. Texas was also the first school Isaia’s mother visited and is the standard she holds other programs to. Texas may not have been Isaia’s first offer but they were the first to ask for an OV, which showed Isaia that he was a priority. Davis earned a lot of trust from Isaia’s father last weekend and that’s exactly what Texas needed to compete with Utah’s family ties.
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