Bears Add Highly-Recruited Hawaii TE Taimane Purcell

The Bears stayed on their hot recruiting roll, garnering their fifth commitment of last weekend’s 11 uncommitted visitors with today’s commitment from 6-3/230 Kamehameha High School (Honolulu, HA) tight end Taimane Purcell‍. 

“I think it was the coaching and the location, because it's so convenient,” Purcell noted as factors in his commitment to Cal. “And then the coaching staff and how they communicate with the players, and how they all interact with each other. They came together and made me feel really important.

“Obviously, Aiden (Manutai) and Jaron (Sagapolutele), coming from Hawaii, they played a big role in my official visit and like making it very enjoyable.”

Purcell, who describes himself as very versatile and able to excel in different in different spots in the offense, also cited tight end coach Mike Saffell’s dogged determination in staying after Purcell, even when the interest wasn’t always reciprocated after the early days in his recruitment.

“Coach Saffell was really consistent in my recruitment really early on, and even though sometimes I didn’t communicate with him the best, he showed consistency and he continued to show how important I was, and kept pushing to be in communication with me,” Purcell noted.

Purcell had 20 catches for 225 yards and 4 TDs as junior.The 3 star Oahu TE also holds offers from Oregon, USC, UCLA, Tennessee, Stanford and more. 

Purcell becomes the 11^th member of the 2026 recruiting class and the first tight end, joining RB Victor Santino‍, OT Tommy Tofi‍, OL Elisha Faamatuainu‍, IOL Artem Korchagin‍, DL Nemyah Telona‍, edge Camron Brooks‍, ILBs Jonathan McKinley‍ and Jaxon Pyatt‍ and DBs Jayden Crowder‍ and Deon Jackson‍.

Related:

Bears Pull in Top 4 Star OT Tommy Tofi

De La Salle DL Telona Stays Local With Cal

Bears Get Commitment From 4 Star SoCal RB Victor Santino

Bears Pick Up 2026 Murrieta OT Elisha Faamatuainu

Bears Prepare to Host First Group of Official Visitors