Adam Jude

The Seattle Times

Defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele, a top-100 national recruit out of St. Louis High in Honolulu, announced his commitment to the Washington Huskies on Sunday night, choosing UW over Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Texas, his other finalists.

Tuitele, 6-feet-4 and 299 pounds, is rated as Hawaii’s No. 1 recruit and the No. 68 overall recruit in the 2019 class by 247sports.com.

ESPN rates Tuitele as the No. 40 recruit in the Class of 2019. Known as “Tui” to teammates, he reportedly had 39 scholarship offers in all and a 4.0 grade-point average.

“I wish I had 100 like Tui,” St. Louis coach Cal Lee told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser earlier this year.

“I mean, he’s the kind of kid that you dream of, a guy who’s big in stature, smart, not just on the field, but a great guy to be around,” Lee said. “You like being around a guy you can learn from, from his actions, the way he practices. People learn from him through his actions a lot more than his words. The way he acts in school. He’s a role model.”

Tuitele’s commitment is another victory for the Huskies’ recruiting efforts in Hawaii, led by defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, a Hawaii native.

Of the 19 recruits committed in UW’s 2019 class, Tuitele is the fifth from Hawaii — joining fellow Honolulu defensive tackle Sama Pa’ama (Kaimuki HS); offensive lineman Julius Buelow (Kapolei HS); outside linebacker Miki Ah You (Kahuku HS); and kicker Timothy Horn (Punahou HS).

In 2017, Tuitele and Ah You were the only juniors selected to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s all-state first team on defense.

The Huskies now have four defensive tackles in their 2019 class, with Tuitele, Pa’ama, Jacob Bandes (Antioch, Calif.) and Noa Ngalu (Menlo Park, Calif.).

Bandes, at No. 32, is 247Sports’ highest-ranked recruit in UW’s class, followed now by Tuitele. They are the top defensive tackles in the West, per 247Sports.

UW 2019 RECRUITING CLASS

Dylan Morris, 6-1, 200, Graham-Kapowsin HS, Graham

Cameron Davis, RB, 6-0, 185, Upland HS, Upland, Calif.

Taj Davis, WR, 6-2, 185, Upland HS, Upland, Calif.

Julius Buelow, OL, 6-8, 315, Kapolei HS, Kapolei, Hawaii

Troy Fautanu, OL, 6-4, 262, Liberty HS, Henderson, Nev.

Nathaniel Kalepo, OL, 6-6, 300, Rainier Beach HS, Seattle

Corey Luciano, OL, 6-5, 286, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, Calif.

Jacob Bandes, DT, 6-3, 306, Pittsburg HS, Antioch, Calif.

Noa Ngalu, DT, 6-2, 265, Menlo-Atherton HS, Menlo Park, Calif.

Sama Pa’ama, DT, 6-5, 340, Kaimuki HS, Honolulu

Faatui Tuitele, DT, 6-4, 299, St. Louis HS, Honolulu

Bralen Trice, DE, 6-4, 225, O’Connor HS, Glendale, Ariz.

Josh Calvert, LB, 6-3, 220, Oaks Christian HS, Westlake Village, Calif.

Alphonzo Tuputala, LB, 6-3, 240, Federal Way HS, Federal Way

Miki Ah You, OLB, 6-1, 220, Kahuku HS, Kahuku, Hawaii

Kamren Fabiculanan, CB, 6-1, 175, Westlake HS, Westlake Village, Calif.

Asa Turner, S, 6-4, 215, Carlsbad HS, Carlsbad, Calif.

Cameron Williams, S, 6-0, 200, Bakersfield HS, Bakersfield, Calif.

Timothy Horn, PK, 6-2, 205, Punahou HS, Honolulu