Stanford football started off the month of August with a commitment from 2025 3-star linebacker/defensive end Nusi Taumoepeau out of Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Taumoepeau had a final list that included Cal, BYU, Utah, and Oklahoma State in addition to Stanford. Taumoepeau visited Stanford the weekend of June 7th and obviously liked what he saw enough to make his pledge to the Cardinal official. On his birthday, no less.
Listed at 6’2”, 225 pounds, Taumoepeau is projected to play at the inside linebacker position for the Cardinal though there’s of course a chance he ends up playing outside linebacker. Stanford defensive coordinator Bobby April III often likes to try guys out at both spots and see where they best fit the scheme, so we’ll just have to see how things go for him once he arrives on campus and starts practicing with the team next season.
Regardless of where he ends up, Taumoepeau has a chance to be a real impact player for the Cardinal defense. When watching his tape, the thing that stands out the most is his speed and aggression. He can really fly around out there. He’s excellent at blitzing from the middle linebacker spot and can quickly get into the backfield to make plays. He knows how to wreak havoc, force fumbles, and disrupt offenses. When you watch him move in open space, it's clear that he's quite fast.
While Taumoepeau is rated as a 3-star guy with a 5.6 Rivals rating, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see his Rivals rating improve before his high school career is over. He’s got all the tools to be an outstanding linebacker at the next level: Size, speed, and aggression. I'm not sure what else he really needs beyond just getting more reps and snaps.
Part of what doesn’t help Taumoepeau with regard to his rating I would assume is Westlake was terrible last year, going 2-10 and usually they aren’t very good. But from what I can tell, that’s not something that should be held against him. When looking at his tape, it’s clear that he’s got serious talent. I look forward to seeing what kind of impact he makes on the Cardinal defense and learning more about what he thinks he’ll bring to the program.
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