Transfer Portal and UCLA Defensive Tackle Decides on Oklahoma State

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State has added another player that can help in the middle of the defensive line in UCLA transfer Sitiveni Kaufusi. The 6-3, 295-pound native Hawaiian has been at UCLA since 2019. He is a former high school fullback and linebacker at Punahou School in Waimanalo, Hawaii. A three-star prospect that UCLA envisioned as a future defensive lineman grew into the position playing at defensive tackle his fourth year as a Bruin. He had come out of high school at 225 pounds.

In the 2022 season he played in 12 games and finished with five tackles including two tackles in the Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh. 

The next season, Kaufusi played in 10 games and again, finished with five total tackles.

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Kaufusi in pass rush mode.

Last season Kaufusi played in 11 games and started three of those games with a total of 10 tackles. Five of his tackles were unassisted and he had a tackle for loss in the opening game at Hawaii. He had three tackles in the loss at Penn State and a career high four tackles against Indiana. 

While Kaufusi was gradually developing into an interior defensive lineman he has been a six-time honor roll student at UCLA. He has been persistent and continued to improve, develop, and mature. The redshirt senior is coming to Oklahoma State for his final and what should be his most productive season of college football. 

Kaufusi joins Demerick Morris from Temple and Michael Diatta of Virginia out of the transfer portal combining with holdovers Justin Kirkland, Iman Oates, Aden Kelley, Armstrong Nnodim, and Luke Webb in the defensive tackle half of the defensive line room.