Nebraska was not on the original itinerary for Preston Taumua.
The Waipahu senior would have endured a long trip back from Alabama and Auburn. This family and circle of coaches decided to make a pit stop at Nebraska. That led to a big win for the Cornhuskers and offensive line coach Donovan Raiola this morning when Taumua, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman turned down 20 schools, including Alabama and Oregon, to pledge his football and academic careers to Big Red.
His parents, Lillian and Faafauina Taumua, were at his side as he signed his National Letter of Intent at precisely 7 a.m. Then he called his coach.
Taumua’s signing with Nebraska was another major recruiting boost for the Huskers, who landed the nation’s No. 1-rated high school quarterback, Dylan Raiola, nephew of coach Raiola. He flipped from Georgia to the Huskers.
“Coach (Matt) Rhule was really at the front door for us. I didn’t get that at a lot of colleges. I felt that from him when I got in there,” Taumua said.
The 21 offers on the table for Taumua, who has a 3.7 grade-point average, didn’t change even after he suffered a knee injury in the offseason. It was a second injury for Taumua in his football career, and again, he rehabbed and was back on the field five months later. He suited up and played in Waipahu’s last four games.
“Our line didn’t allow a sack in our most important games with Preston there,” Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho said.
Taumua’s JPS coach, Zack Mauga, has been there from the beginning six years ago. When he moved from Aiea to Waipahu, he became an offensive coordinator. Taumua was among the players who also moved over with Mauga.
“We’re so proud of him. It’s a dream that’s become reality for him. I never knew he would get this far. He put in the work and overcame a lot of obstacles. The knee surgeries, still became on of the best linemen in the nation,” Mauga said. “We were content with him not playing this year, but Preston being Preston, coming back from ACL surgery in five months, that’s unheard of. Playing at a high level.”
The process of visiting Nebraska involved Mauga’s wife, Ula. She met Taumua at the Huskers’ campus during the visit.
“From Auburn, he went to Nebraska, and from there to Oregon,” Mauga said. “We did that just so he didn’t have to fly all the way back to Hawaii and take another six-hour flight, then back (to Oregon) with another six-hour flight,” Mauga said. “My wife came back and she was so high on Nebraska. She kept saying, ‘He needs to go there! He needs to go there! Preston loved it, as well.’
Taumua will ride out senior year, continuing workouts and rehab.
“The class coming in at Nebraska, they think they can turn it around,” Mauga said. “They’re going to be legends at Nebraska if they turn it around.”
—
2023 Early Signing Day FBS Signees from Hawaii
Name H.S. HT WT POS College
Frank Abreu Kamehameha-Maui 6-4 200 WR Hawaii
Kekai Burnett Punahou 6-3 235 DE Michigan State
Nazaiah Caravallo Campbell 6-2 220 DE Hawaii
Alika Cavaco-Amoy Punahou 6-0 210 LB Hawaii
Anelu Lafaele Farrington 6-3 220 OLB/DE Wisconsin
Kela Moore Campbell 6-0 175 DB UNLV
Hyrum-Benjamin Moors Kahuku 6-0 255 DL Washington State
Tu‘i Muti Punahou 6-2 295 OL Hawaii
Filivaa Saluni Kahuku 6-5 270 OL Arizona State
Preston Taumua Waipahu 6-5 315 OL Nebraska
Joshua Tavui Campbell 6-3 300 OL Hawaii
Tristan Waiamau-Galindo Kamehameha 6-3 220 DE/OLB Hawaii
Noah Wily Saint Louis 6-2 225 OLB/DE Hawaii
Rustin Young Saint Louis 6-4 255 OL Michigan State
