Arizona lands JUCO standout
Mesa (Ariz.) Community College three-star defensive end prospect William Tukuafu (6-5, 275) has had his college choices narrowed to four schools for quite awhile. He mentioned recently that he would be making a decision by Thanksgiving weekend, and with the holiday almost over he's made his choice.
"Actually I just held a little press conference over here and I committed to the University of Arizona," Tukuafu said. "My family are excited that I finally made a choice, and they support me in everything I do."
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Tukuafu choose the Wildcat program over schools such as Cal, Oregon, and Arizona State.
"It just felt like a home away from home," Tukuafu said. "It's close to home and I can be close to my family, but it's away at the same time. I see the program on the rise also, and I can go in there and have an opportunity to play right away."
Despite the excitement about his commitment, the talented defensive end said it was a difficult choice to make.
"Cal, Oregon, and ASU were the other three," Tukuafu said. "I met with Cal this morning – they flew in. They were all four in the mix. It was hard to say which was sticking out. They were all in there. I just feel comfortable with the coaching staff (at Arizona). That kind of sealed the deal with me."
Breaking the news to the other schools wasn't fun for him, but he handled it with class and dignity.
"I called all of the coaches and let them know the decision," Tukuafu said. "They were all excited and disappointed in their own way. They're all really good sports. I told them that I appreciated everything that they did. They said thanks for being a class act."
Tukuafu did leave the door open just a crack, however.
"I'm all finished with (recruiting) for now," Tukuafu said. "You never know, but right now I'm planning to head to Tucson in January."
Sean Stevens of Duck Sports Authority contributed to this report.