Tausili Akana is on the radar and shining brightly.
The incoming Kamehameha freshman linebacker earned defensive MVP honors for grades 8-10 at the All-Poly football camp in Utah and landed three scholarship offers: Hawaii, Brigham Young and Utah. He is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds after growing four inches in the past year, according to his father, former Hawaii basketball player and current Kahuku boys basketball coach Brandyn Akana.
Tausili Akana is the younger brother of heralded volleyball players Braelyn Akana and Keonilei Akana of Kamehameha, and son of former UH volleyball player Joselyn (Robins) Akana.
Dad and mom have been spending more than usual on Akana’s shoes. He now wears size 16.
“Oh, I’ve gone through more than 20 shoes. Sports shoes, church shoes, everything,” he said.
The All-Poly Camp wasn’t his first. He participated in the University of Hawaii camp two weeks ago. All-Poly followed last weekend.
“I was excited and anxious,” Akana said of his first mainland camp. “My feet got better. Change of direction.”
Akana had one basic move before the All-Poly camp, “a straight bull rush.” He now has four new moves: spin, swim, the soft shoulder and the long arm.
“It’s been fun,” he said.
He didn’t expect the MVP honor.
“There was a lot of talent there. There were about 20 players at my position,” he said.
Then the offers came. College coaches are permitted to work with campers, so they got a complete feel for what Akana is like.
“I think they like my size, my length, my potential, my motor,” he said.
Getting three offers on one day — last Sunday — surprised mom.
“She was very emotional. She was crying and stuff. I called her right after. She told me I’ve got to keep working hard and don’t let it get to my head,” Tausili said. “It won’t. I’ve watched my sisters deal with this kind of situation. I’m still young, but I still have a lot to learn.”
He played for Laie Park in the JPS League growing up. Now he’s leaving the district for high school.
“Kamehameha is good. I like it. I’m learning new things up there,” Akana said.
There is one more Akana offspring: Tasi. He is entering kindergarten this fall.
Another Kahuku product leaves the hood. Np, always welcome back. Always a red raider.
Leave the kid alone. You guys are all clowns on that side. Unreal
ILH recruiting strikes again!
nothing wrong with giving a child more opportunities. if a parent feels that a school presents more academic and/or athletic opportunities, why judge them?
I wish I could get one kid in Kamehameha, the Akana’s Have three there. Awesome.
@Notes
Kamehameha doesn’t recruit parents have to apply to get in so that means his family wanted their son to attend Kamehameha.
Also parents doesn’t have send their kids to private school they chose to go thete
What’s funny he going st Louis after lol no get mad everybody. Lol
I remember Kekaula Kaniho began at Kamehameha-Kapalama and was barely getting onto the field. Transfers to his home school of Kahuku, works his way into the system and flourishes and eventually graduates with offers out the glutius maximus and goes on to kill it at Boise St. Not saying Tausili will find similar circumstances at KS, but it’s definitely about the system a kid finds himself in.
Wait … this is the same Brandyn Akana who UH threw under the bus a couple years ago during the Gib Arnold fiasco? I see he is now wearing UH logo gear and willing to show his son to UH. Let us be thankful that Brandyn Akana is not a bitter person who could easily hold a grudge against UH for what they did to him.
“Kamehameha doesn’t recruit parents have to apply to get in so that means his family wanted their son to attend Kamehameha.”
weird. you know, all those kids getting recruited to punahou or alabama or university of washington are recruited. they also have to apply to get in. their families also want them to get in. HMMMMM.
“Also parents doesn’t have send their kids to private school they chose to go thete”
because of recruiting. i don’t think you understand how recruiting works. if a kid is recruited, that doesn’t mean that they’re FORCED to go to the school. the parents decide whether the recruiting package and opportunities is good enough for them to send the kid there. why kam doesn’t do a better job recruiting idk. they have the money for it
Dang.
My comment got the hook.
Again.
I feel like Ed First.
@ notes
“why kam(ehameha) doesn’t do a better job recruiting idk”
You are aware of the Hawaiian preference for KS? That automatically eliminates most athletes coming to KES.