3-star safety Aiden Manutai locks in three official visits
Coming out of Kahuku High School, Waipahu three-star safety Aiden Manutai is one of the best 2025 prospects in Hawaii. The 6-foot, 170-pounder has eclipsed double-digit offers and is ready to begin taking the next steps in his recruitment.
Three Big Ten programs will be receiving an official visit from Manutai this June, he tells On3. Penn State (June 7), Nebraska (June 14) and Washington (June 21) are all set to welcome the rising defensive back to campus around four months from now. The only school he has visited so far is Washington.
The North Shore product has added offers from five programs since December — including the Nittany Lions and the Huskies. As Manutai moves into the spring and summer, he’ll continue to look to build relationships and find his fit at the next level.
Manutai has witnessed nothing but success at Kahuku, as the school has now won three consecutive state titles for the first time ever. Across those three seasons, the Red Raiders boast a 34-4 record. Manutai contributed as a thorn in the side of opposing receivers while also catching a few passes himself.
Now, as he gears up for his senior season, he’ll make a few pitstops in the Continental United States to try and get a better idea of where he wants to play his college football. Penn State signed the highest-ranked class of the aforementioned trio in 2024.
Nebraska also inked an impressive class — which included fellow Waipahu native, four-star IOL Preston Taumua. Manutai owned an offer from old Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch back in 2022 and was quickly offered by Washington once the skipper made the move to Seattle.
Manutai is the No. 631 overall prospect and No. 45 safety in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 4 player in Hawaii.
Manutai talks Nebraska, Penn State and Washington
Penn State: “Coach Terry Smith and the rest of the defensive staff are very consistent with sending defensive backs to the league which tells you more than enough. That, along with the history behind the football program and finding out there has never been a Hawaii boy to go to Penn State has me interested in Penn State.”
Nebraska: “Watching their defense this past season is definitely a defense I can see myself in because we run a similar defense at Kahuku High School. As well as the relationship I have built with the Nebraska coaches and having some 808 ties there has them on my list.”
Washington: “Coach Jedd Fisch and Coach Josh Omura have been loyal to me since my freshman year. I have a lot of respect for what they have been doing and what I saw at Arizona. I look forward to meeting the new Washington staff and getting the feel of the school.”