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Lisala Tai, a 6-foot-7, 310-pound offensive tackle prospect out of Hawthorne High School in Hawthorne, California, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for BYU. Tai received a surprise offer from the new coaching staff a few weeks ago and committed to the Cougars immediately.
Despite only having had played football for two years, Tai has received a three-star rating according to the 247Sports Composite. His composite rating is 82.19, making him the highest-rated offensive lineman BYU is expected to sign today. Tai also had an offer from San Diego State and interest from Arizona State, Ball State, Fresno State, Oregon State, Penn State, and UCLA.
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Tai is a very raw prospect with lots of upside. He has a unique combination of size, strength, and mobility that is rare for a prospect his age. That athleticism does make defensive line a possibility for Tai as well. He does tend to rely a lot on his size and raw athleticism instead of the finer technical aspects of the game, likely due to inexperience. With that said, his natural ability is extremely impressive and given some time to develop he could become a very good player for the Cougars.
Tai is expected to join the Cougars for the 2018 season, after serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Here's a look at some of Tai's highlights: