4-star OT Junior Angilau commits to Texas

Faced with a pressing need for offensive tackles, the Texas Longhorns secured a significant coup on Monday evening when Salt Lake City (Utah) East standout Junior Angilau gave his commitment.

Head coach Tom Herman helped secure the pledge during an in-home visit following an excellent recruiting pitch from offensive line coach Derek Warehime. There was also a family tie, as Angilau is the cousin of junior offensive guard Patrick Vahe.

The 6’6, 297-pound Angilau, who is a 2018 US Army All-American, took his official visit to Austin for the post-Thanksgiving game against Texas Tech and also visited during the spring. Angilau held 19 other offers, including Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Prior to the pledge from Angilau, the Utes were considered the other serious contender, with the Ducks and Trojans also in the mix.

A consensus four-star prospect, Angilau is the No. 155 player nationally, the No. 11 offensive tackle, and the No. 3 player in Utah, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Assuming that Angilau becomes a member of the 2018 class, he’s the 19th pledge for Herman, but a report from 247Sports on Monday indicated that he will take his LDS mission next year and enroll in 2020.

Given the pressing need for offensive linemen and offensive tackles in particular, when Angilau plans to arrive on campus will have a significant impact on the remaining needs in the class. The group currently ranks No. 2 nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12, according to the 247Sport Composite rankings.