Nevada DT AJ Fuimaono commits to UCLA for 2023
AJ Fuimaono will be part of some future trivia after his decision Tuesday. The three-star defensive lineman from Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada announced his commitment to UCLA becoming the first recruit to give the Bruins his pledge after the decision by the school to move to the Big Ten in 2024.
The Bruins have been the leader in the process with Fuimaono for a while now and became the clear leader after his official visit to Westwood back in May. UCLA jumped into his recruitment with an offer early in the process last fall.
Since that time there have been some coaching changes, but his relationship with the Bruins remained solid.
"First and foremost I'd like to thank God for his guidance and blessings upon my life," Fuimaono wrote in a post on Twitter announcing his decision. "Then I would like to thank my parents and family for the love and support they gave to push me all my life and get me to where I am today. And lastly, a big thank you to all my friends and people who have supported me throughout my journey."
Fuimaono picked up offers from UNLV and his former home-state school, Hawaii. Plus, he visited Utah earlier in the spring as well.
UCLA's pursuit outlasted those programs leading to his decision this week that now gives the program six commitments overall in the 2023 class. The group is now evenly split between offensive and defensive players as Fuimaono joins four-star linebacker Tre Edwards and three-star safety/linebacker Ty Lee as the defensive prospects in the class for the Bruins.
While former assistant Johnny Nansen first offered Fuimaono, new defensive line coach Chad Kauha'aha'a took over that process in the winter and eventually played a big role in the recruitment for UCLA.
Fuimaono's commitment is the first for the Bruins since June 21 when quarterback prospect Luke Duncan gave the program his pledge.