One of the University of Hawaii football team’s top recruits in 2013 also is one of the key members of the Rainbow Warriors’ 2017 recruiting class.
Jamie Tago, who played last season at Garden City Community College, will rejoin the Rainbow Warriors in January. His commitment will be finalized on Wednesday, the NCAA signing day for midyear transfers.
Because Tago signed a letter of intent and was a Warrior for two years, he will not count as an initial recruit. The NCAA limits FBS teams to 25 initials each year.
Tago will have two years to play two UH seasons.
As a Samoana High senior in 2013, Tago was rated as American Samoa’s No. 4 football prospect. He was a four-year letterwinner at safety and wideout. He also was an outside hitter in volleyball.
Tago signed with the Warriors in February 2013 on the condition that he delay enrolling until January 2014. Tago redshirted as a linebacker in 2014.
He played in three games, all on special teams, in 2015.
Tago was projected to compete for a starting job at defensive end in the Warriors’ switch to a 4-3 base alignment. But Tago left UH in the spring because of a non-football situation.
In late June, Tago made an oral commitment to Kansas. It was a conditional commitment in which Tago would play at a junior college in the fall and then transfer to Kansas in January.
In 11 games at Garden City, Tago made 71 tackles, including 9.5 sacks. He also had an interception and forced four fumbles, recovering one of them.
Tago opened his recruiting options this fall. He completed a UH-sponsored recruiting trip on Sunday. After that, he decided to accept the Warriors’ scholarship offer.
Tago has a family history with the Warriors. He is related to former UH and NFL defensive linemen Isaac Sopoaga, Niko Noga and Al Noga.
Safety Eugene Ford, wideout Marcus Armstrong-Brown and defensive tackle Kalepo Naotala also will join the Warriors in January. They were grayshirts this semester.
