2024 LB Naki Tuakoi Grateful For Notre Dame Offer

By Christian McCollum

November 15, 2022

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Earlier this month, Naki Tuakoi‍ was informed he had a couple messages.

“My coaches told me to check my Twitter and then they were saying that Notre Dame was trying to talk to me,” the 2024 California linebacker recalled.

Eventually, the Oakland native found himself on the found with a couple Irish staffers, including Director of Recruiting Chad Bowden.

“We had a good talking and then he gave me the offer,” the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder said. “They were just saying they love my film and the way I play and my grades.”

The Fremont High School standout also has offers from schools like Cal, Arizona, Utah, Maryland and Oklahoma among others, but the Irish offer certainly meant something.

“Notre Dame was one of the very few schools that I actually know about,” said Tuakoi. “I don't really know much about college football, so it was big for me. I was in shock.”

Tuakoi has been aware of Notre Dame for years.

“One of my favorite linebackers came out of there,” he said, referring to Manti Te’o. “Great player. I just hear about it all the time. It's a really big school.”

Now that he has the offer from the Irish, he’s looking forward to building relationships with the coaches.

“I want to keep in contact with them,” he said. “I still have my senior year left. I don't think I'll be making any decisions until then. But Notre Dame is one of the top schools I want to go to.”

He’s hoping to visit South Bend at some point – “maybe next year” – but doesn’t have anything set just yet.

He had the chance to take a visit to Cal for its game against Oregon earlier this fall, but hasn’t hit the road much for visits just yet.

He also doesn’t have any sort of favorites list at this point.

“I'm just keeping everything open.”