Excerpts/paraphrase from new article today:
Iapani Laloulu was the unquestioned alpha at the ESPN 300 Elite Underclassmen Camp in Hawaii earlier this month and showed exactly why his recruitment has remained one of the interesting ones in the Aloha State.
"My official visit to Arizona was really, really good,” Laloulu told 247Sports. “I really love the program over there and the coaches are great. Coach
Jedd Fisch is rebuilding the program and the team has really been buying into the new culture."
“But I know I want to take other officials, hopefully during season before making my choice later on, closer to the Early Signing Period. Miami and Oregon are two schools I’m definitely looking at for those trips.”
There are deep ties for Laloulu at both coastal programs. With the Hurricanes, the physical lineman has a connection to
Mario Cristobal and
Alex Mirabal — the coaches that offered him first while they were at Oregon. And with the Ducks it’s a family bond, given that his brother, Faaope, is in the OL group there for first-year coach
Adrian Klemm, who has also been fostering a relationship.
“My brother is at Oregon but I have also been liking coach Klemm a lot,” Laloulu said. “He’s a great guy and tells it to you straight. He doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear. And knowing he played at Hawaii means a lot because I can relate to him in a way.”
No future visit dates have been locked in yet but Laloulu knows he’d like to experience some gamedays.
“Miami is one I know I’m really looking forward to, just knowing those coaches since I was in eighth grade and reaching out to them when they first offered me,” he said.
Laloulu is the nation’s No. 17 rated interior offensive lineman and No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Hawaii for the 2023 class, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings. He has committed to play in both the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game and the 2023 Polynesian Bowl all-star game.