Juco tight end commits to U of L
A few days after midyear signing day, the University of Louisville football team added another junior-college transfer to the fold late Saturday night, flipping tight end Cole Hikutini from a commitment to Purdue.
Hikutini, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound player for City College of San Francisco, announced his decision on Twitter after midnight. He'll sign with U of L and enroll next month.
Hikuitni verbally committed to Purdue earlier in the week and was expected to sign there, but a late offer from the Cardinals evidently changed his mind. He also had offers from Nevada and Texas-San Antonio. He's not visited Louisville yet.
Hikutini is rated three stars and the No. 4 junior-college "Y" tight end in the class by ESPN.com. He's rated two stars by Rivals.com and Scout.com and has not been rated by 247Sports.com.
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He had 40 catches for 658 yards and four touchdowns this season for the California juco runner-up, and he was fifth among all California juco players in average yards per catch (21.8).
Hikutini spent 2012 (as a redshirt) and '13 at Sacramento State College of the FCS. In 2013, he made 21 catches for 204 yards and five touchdowns in nine games, including four starts.
He's the 25th commitment for U of L in the 2015 class, including the sixth from a junior-college player. The Cards had previously targeted Arizona Western College tight end Raymond Epps, but he stuck with a verbal commitment to Arizona State and signed there on Wednesday.
Hikutini, who attended Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove, Calif., should help the Cards cope with the loss of top senior tight end Gerald Christian after this season.
Watch Hikutini's highlights below, or if you can view the player, click here.