I have changed my Crystal Ball on Top100 defensive end Canton Kaumatule from Stanford to Oregon. The Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou defensive end has long been a favorite to follow his brother to Stanford but according to sources, the younger Kaumatule is looking less and less likely to end up in Palo Alto.
If in fact the Cardinal are no longer a viable option for the 6-7, 275-pounder, Oregon likely becomes the favorite with USC also near the top of his list. One team that is likely to be a serious contender and a dark horse for Kaumatule is Vanderbilt.
With a staff that features Derek Mason and David Kotulski, both of whom Kaumatule developed relationships with while they were still at Stanford, Vanderbilt will have a foot in the door with the elite defender. That staff has also made poly recruiting a priority behind defensive line coach Frank Maile.
Oregon also has advantages being close to home, boasting a history of success playing lengthy defensive linemen and having a friend on the roster and fellow islander in DeForrest Beckner.
Expect Kaumatule to take several official visits before making any final decisions. Currently, Kaumatule is rated as the No. 4 strongside defensive end in the country according to the industry generated 247Sports Composite.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pac12?src=hash">#Pac12</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CrystalBall?src=hash">#CrystalBall</a> changes for Top100 DE Canton Kaumatule <a href="http://t.co/SZIsOALOU3">http://t.co/SZIsOALOU3</a> <a href="http://t.co/ZFjfLExDwi">pic.twitter.com/ZFjfLExDwi</a></p>— 247SportsCrystalBall (@247CrystalBall) <a href="https://twitter.com/247CrystalBall/statuses/496733595864944640">August 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
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