Rigby, ID defensive lineman, Tanoa Togiai put a call into Realdawg.com last evening upon his return home from Seattle.
I had told readers that we were going to wait until today to post any visit reports in light of the disastrous events that took place yesterday in the sports world.
The internet was very somber all of yesterday and last evening.
Togiai echoed what I had heard about his visit yesterday morning; that it was a great experience and he hadn’t made a decision yet, but he was able to also elaborate on all of that.
“My host was Taki”, he said of Husky DL, Sam Taimani, “He’s actually really cool.”
Togiai said the highlight of the trip was “seeing all of Seattle…also the setting (of the stadium) and the facilities. The coaches were great and Jimmy Lake is an awesome coach. He’s real outgoing and direct — he didn’t BS me at all and talked to me about what it would be like if I go there.”
Togiai also enjoyed hanging out with other recruits who are on campus, “We had a big blast”, he said, “We’re going to keep in touch.”
His parents both liked what they saw in Seattle as well, but could Togiai see himself at Washington?
“Yeah”, he said straight up, although Togiai didn’t say if he had considered committing while he on the trip — he’s still keeping a lot close to the vest because he wants to announce at his school on signing day.
“Coach Lake and Coach Malloe are coming on Friday to my house”, he said.
My take? I think Washington lands this kid. And he’s a guy you definitely want to get in and start developing. Togiai has plans to take an LDS mission after his first year of college and then return.
Togiai would need to be released in order to take his mission, but the only way he would be recruitable again would be if he entered the transfer portal — so the old rules don’t apply to this situation.
