San Leandro (Calif.) running back/linebacker prospect Sekeli Faaeteete, 6-1, 212, has narrowed his list down to a top three, and it has a West Coast flavor to it.
“My top three are pretty much down to California, UCLA and USC. I’m wide open on those three, don’t have a leader of them, but it’s really down to them.”
Faaeteete has offers from all three, while also hearing from Utah and BYU. He admits, the idea of playing close to home is intriguing. “Cal is telling me that I can play close to home, and bring the attention back here. I went to their camp and was named the MVP of the linebackers, and the defensive MVP of the camp. I had a real cool time.”
Faaeteete also has visited the Southern California schools, and took an unofficial to UCLA last month. “It was a cool campus. It’s in the city. I liked the new weight room, the locker room, all of the new facilities.”
He spent some time with Coach Embree and a former high school teammate who had a very successful freshman year. “Coach Embree showed me around, and he is real cool. I also talked to Jarrad (Page) and Tyler Ebell. They really like it there and like what the new coaches are doing. Jarrad told me how much he likes it. They want me as both a fullback and a linebacker. It was my first time down at UCLA.”
His cousin David has already committed to Oregon, but he says he is in no real rush to make his own decision. He said, “There is no real rush to decide yet. I want to be real sure about my place and my decision. I am going to kick back and watch how the teams play, see how serious they are, then take my trips.”
Faeeteete turned down a professional rugby contract this spring to concentrate on football, and with the offers he has received, is pretty happy with his decision. “Rugby was cool, but I want to play football in college.”
Faaeteete has a 3.3 GPA and will take the SAT in the fall.