Football recruiting: Bay Area high school star de-commits from Stanford

Edge rusher Naki Tuakoi of Fremont High in Oakland says he has reopened his recruitment

Naki Tuakoi, a four-star edge rusher from Fremont-Oakland, announced on social media that he has withdrawn his oral commitment to Stanford and reopened his recruitment.

Tuakoi did not explain why in his post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday night.

According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-4, 222-pound senior has 18 offers, including 15 from Power 5 schools.

Tuakoi thanked Stanford coach Troy Taylor and several of his assistants for “giving me the opportunity to not only play for Stanford football but also to attend one of the most prestigious schools in the United States.” Throughout the recruiting process, the entire coaching staff has been nothing but supportive and loving.

“I can’t say enough good things about them… Your faith in me means a lot to me, and I’ll be eternally grateful to you for taking a chance on a kid from Oakland.”

Tuakoi has received scholarship offers from schools such as USC, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma. He visited Stanford on June 9 and Arizona on June 2, according to 247Sports.

Tuakoi is ranked 30th overall in the Class of 2024 in California by 247Sports. That is the highest among Bay Area seniors.