Breaking: Utah secures commitment from highly regarded defensive tackle Semi Taulanga. On Saturday, Utah football added another win to its recruiting efforts by landing Semi Taulanga, a defensive tackle from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. Taulanga chose Utah over his other top choices, BYU and UCLA, and announced his decision on Instagram.
As a versatile prospect, Taulanga is expected to play defensive tackle for Utah. His commitment further strengthens an already impressive defensive line class for the Utes, who are well-known for their ability to identify and develop NFL-caliber defensive linemen. Utah’s success in securing Taulanga over in-state rival BYU and 11 other schools, including Pittsburgh, Houston, Washington State, and Oregon State, is noteworthy. He is ranked as the 93rd best player in California.
Taulanga is a disruptive force on the field, quick off the snap, and skilled at creating havoc in the offensive backfield. With proper development, he has the potential to be at least a strong rotational player, with the possibility of growing into a more prominent role during his career at Utah. The Utes typically rotate 4-5 defensive tackles in games, making the addition of versatile athletes like Taulanga crucial. His size and playing style draw comparisons to former Ute Seni Fauonuku, who was a consistent part of Utah’s rotation from 2012-2015. According to 247Sports analyst Greg Biggins, Taulanga shows great promise. Biggins praised Taulanga’s ability to compete against other top college prospects in Southern California’s elite Trinity League.
“Taulanga is one of the top two-way linemen in the region. Although he’s being recruited primarily for defense, he could also excel as a center or offensive guard in college. At around 5-11 and 300 pounds, he may be shorter, but he is not small. He is arguably the most technically proficient lineman in the state, using advanced technique and leverage. He has multiple moves and counters to win at the line of scrimmage and plays with relentless effort. Last year, on Mater Dei’s stacked defensive line, Taulanga was the leader and the most dominant presence in the trenches. He projects as a nose guard or three-tech who can take on double teams and be a tough matchup, particularly in pass-rush situations,” Biggins wrote in June.
Taulanga is the 16th high school player to commit to Utah for the 2025 recruiting class and the fourth defensive tackle, joining Mailili Asiata, Karson Kaufusi, and Sione Motuapuaka.
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