Cal Football

Yamauchi Moving up the Recruiting Charts, Narrowing Targets

By Jim McGill

July 19, 2022

5,619

6-4/285 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) offensive guard Zak Yamauchi‍ has been moving up on recruiting boards across the country recently, earning several summer offers, including one from Cal.

“Cal started talking to me earlier in my recruiting process,” said Yamauchi. “Coach Angus, he’d usually text me most every Monday, Wednesday and Friday but they didn’t offer till later on in my recruitiment.”

So far, Yamauchi has taken official visits to Boston College and Stanford and both school made good impressions.

“It was awesome,” said Yamauchi of his visits. “Seeing the places, touring the campuses, meeting the coaches, it was an awesome experience.”

Programs have one last opportunity to get recruits on campus for official or unofficial visits before camps start and quiet periods with no recruiting visits begins in August.

Will the 3 star OG take advantage of that last visit weekend?

“I”m thinking about it,” said Yamauchi. “Cal’s been talking to me about it. We’ve been planning on it but we’re still planning our options.”

Yamauchi, whose mom is Samoan whose dad is half Japanese and half Samoan, appreciates the growing Polynesian presense at Cal.

“Cal’s Polynesian influence is important to me,” said Yamauchi. “It’s that bond where you can usually connect instantly and having Polys there at Cal would make me feel more at home. I’ve heard about Benji’s barbeque, too.”

As for what he’s looking for in a program?

“I’m just looking for having that connection and that bond,” said Yamauchi. “Being away from home, I want to feel like I’m part of their brotherhood and just having the father/son connection and getting a good education at a school like Cal, Stanford or Boston College.

“I want to study biology and go into sports medicine. I’d like to decide before the season or maybe during the season.”

Yamauchi’s Bishop Gorman program is always elite and this season looks to be no different.

“Our goal is to win the national championship,” said Yamauchi. “We play Mater Dei, St. Louis from Hawaii, Hamilton from Airzona, Brookwood from Georgia and Corner Canyon from Utah on the schedule. If we win those games, we’ll definitely be national champs. It will be good to go home to see my family in the St. Louis game.”