Nebraska was not on the original itinerary for Waipahu’s Preston Taumua.

The Waipahu senior would have endured a long trip back from Alabama and Auburn. This family and circle of coaches decided to make a pit stop at Nebraska. That led to a big win for the Cornhuskers and offensive line coach Donovan Raiola this morning when Taumua, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman turned down 20 schools, including Alabama and Oregon, to pledge his football and academic careers to Big Red.

His parents, Lillian and Faafauina Taumua, were at his side as he signed his national letter of intent at precisely 7 a.m. Then he called his coach.

Taumua’s signing with Nebraska is another major recruiting boost for the Huskers, who landed the nation’s No. 1-rated high school quarterback, Dylan Raiola, nephew of coach Raiola.

Raiola is a consensus top 10 recruit in the class of 2024 and the son of former Cornhuskers offensive lineman Dominic Raiola, but it took him a while to choose Nebraska. He was first verbally committed to Ohio State and then Georgia. His family even moved the Atlanta suburbs for him to play his final high school season.

But earlier this week he announced he was flipping to Nebraska and then made it official Wednesday.

Raiola has ties to Hawaii. His father Dominic played for Saint Louis, Nebraska and then the Detroit Lions and his uncle Donovan played for Kamehameha and then Wisconsin. The young Railoa’s grandfather Tony was a standout athlete at Saint Louis.