Texas adds blue-chip OLB Tausili Akana to top-five class

On a day where Texas officially added Arch Manning, Anthony Hill, Johntay Cook, and other elite talent, the Longhorns have added another potential difference-maker to the program. The latest addition comes in the form of a blue-chip defender that took his recruitment down to the wire.

Four-star outside linebacker Tausili Akana announced for the Longhorns on Wednesday, providing Steve Sarkisian and staff with another massive win on the recruiting trail. Akana opted for the burnt orange over contenders Colorado, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Utah.

Akana officially visited Texas when the Longhorns hosted Alabama earlier this season. The four-star has family ties to the school, as his sister, Keonilei Akana, is a national champion on the volleyball team.

"They’re getting tremendous length. He looks like a guy that they took his arms and stretched them. And he can move. He’s a guy that probably does need to add 15-20 pounds. That will happen in college. He could be an edge rusher, could be an outside linebacker," said Rivals' national recruiting director Adam Gorney.

"I’ve seen him in 7-on-7 playing middle linebacker. He’s great in space, great off the edge. He needs to get more physical, more aggressive. But in terms of length and ability to move, he’s got it all."

Tausili Akana bolsters a Texas recruiting haul that ranks inside the top-five nationally.