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UCLA Football Early Signing Day Breakdown: OL Tavake Tuikolovatu

The only offensive lineman committed to the Bruins this cycle is officially coming to Westwood now that he has signed his NLI.

Benjamin Royer

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As the National Letters of Intent come rolling in, All Bruins is going to be taking an in-depth look at every recruit who signs with UCLA in real time. Next up, offensive lineman Tavake Tuikolovatu.

Tavake Tuikolovatu, Offensive Lineman

Hometown: Fontana, California
High School: Summit
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 300 pounds
2022 Stats: 9 GP, 44 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 6 QBH, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
247Sports Composite: Four-Star, No. 46 IOL, No. 56 CA, No. 628 overall
High School Offers: BYU, Cal, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah, Washington, Washington State
Commitment Date: Dec. 16, 2022

The Bruins' only offensive line commit is officially set to join their 2023 roster.

Summit High School (CA) product Tavake Tuikolovatu officially signed his NLI Wednesday morning, locking him in to join offensive line coach Tim Drevno's unit up front. Tuikolovatu was a late-bloomer as a prospect, not picking up a Division I scholarship offer until the summer before his senior year.

"UCLA is the best of both worlds for me, great football and great academics and that's what I was looking for," Tuikolovatu said in a statement released by the team. "For me, football is big of course but I know we can't play forever. I want to make sure I have something to fall back on and a degree from UCLA can set you up for life."

The 6-foot-6, 300-pound two-way prospect earned 247Sports crystal balls in favor of Utah early in his recruitment, but the Hawaiian prospect committed to UCLA on Dec. 16. BYU, Cal, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Tennessee, Washington and Washington State were also involved in Tuikolovatu's recruitment.

Tuikolovatu is a three-star prospect, according to 247Sports, but he does not have a rating from Rivals, ESPN or On3. In the 247Sports Composite, Tuikolovatu is ranked as the No. 69 interior offensive lineman in the country, the No. 75 prospect in California and the No. 861 overall recruit in his class.

Although Tuikolovatu will join the Bruins as their third-lowest-rated commit of the cycle, the Fontana, California, native brings versatility to the table, considering he has plenty of experience at both defensive end and multiple spots on the offensive line. 

UCLA could play Tuikolovatu at tackle or guard at the college level, and where he ends up could depend on how other position battles shake out. Left guard Atonio Mafi has run out of eligibility, but will likely be replaced by Purdue transfer Spencer Holstege. Guard Jon Gaines II, center Duke Clemens and tackle Raiqwon O'Neal all have decisions to make in the coming weeks, though, and how Drevno and coach Chip Kelly choose to fill any potential holes will likely determine where Tuikolovatu fits into the depth chart moving forward.

Click here to check out All Bruins' 2023 early signing period tracker

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PHOTO COURTESY OF TAVAKE TUIKOLOVATU/INSTAGRAM

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Benjamin Royer
BENJAMIN ROYER

Benjamin Royer is a contributing writer at All Bruins, in association with the FanNation and Sports Illustrated networks. Royer is a third-year student at UCLA, where he is a Sports contributor for the school's award-winning student-run newspaper, The Daily Bruin. Royer was previously the Sports Editor at The Valley Star, Los Angeles Valley College's independent newspaper, and he helped develop the Twinger Talk YouTube channel and The Double Play podcast. He is also a professional actor, previously appearing in programs on Showtime, ABC, Disney Channel, FOX and CBS.

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