Texas Football: 3 Horns summer enrollees pushing for early playing time

Tausili Akana, Edge

No. 124 nationally, No. 10 linebacker

The third summer enrollee I believe could have an immediate impact this fall is Hawaii native Tausili Akana. Akana played his final three seasons of high school football at Skyridge in Utah and was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the state in the 2023 cycle.

Akana is listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds. Like most of these summer enrollees, his frame has room to add a good amount of muscle. That said, the lack of size does not hurt his ability to use his bend to get around tackles and rush the quarterback.

He projects as a JACK in Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense, a position that does not have a sure starter on this roster. Right now, it seems as if sophomores Ethan Burke and Justice Finkley are poised to take a second-year leap, but by no means has either one locked down the starting spot. Because of the uncertainty around the position, I would not be surprised to see a guy like Akana force his way onto the field in 2023.

By all accounts, Akana has been one of the hardest workers in the building since arriving on campus in June. He already has the requisite athleticism and first step to succeed as a JACK in this defense; it’s just a matter of what weight he is sitting at this fall.