29 September 2023
Just over a year ago, St. Thomas offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jake Landry saw enough from a well-put-together quarterback taking part in the program’s summer camp to believe that the Tommies might be on to something in Tak Tateoka.
While not in the mix at other Division I programs, Tateoka, about to begin his third season as the starter at South Waukesha High School in Wisconsin, convinced Landry that, as a bit of a diamond in the rough, he could be a good fit for the Tommies.
Fast forward to this summer, when the 6-foot-2, 196-pound Tateoka, who accepted a relatively late offer to join the Tommies, found himself quickly moving up the depth chart. Redshirt
freshman Amari Powell was the presumed starter, with sophomore Travis Plugge expected to be the backup.
“We do a personnel meeting in fall camp every day,” Tommies head coach Glenn Caruso said. “We were two weeks into camp, and coach Landry pointed out that Tak was showing the
abilities we need.
“I think when Jake identified that is when everyone else started to take a look at what could be. And it’s progressed very steadily from there.”
On Saturday at Dayton, Tateoka will make his second start as the Tommies’ official starter after an impressive debut a week ago that culminated in a clutch touchdown pass in the waning moments that secured a victory over Morehead State.
Now that Tateoka has a firm grasp on the starting job, there is a growing sense within the program that he has what it takes to handle the position for years to come.
“If Tak did not come to our prospect camp, there is no way that he would be at the University of St. Thomas,” Caruso said. “The fact that he was able to get coached by our coaches — and our coaches were able to see how he was interacting with the other players — is the No. 1 reason he’s here.
“His high school team had to shut the season down early his last year because they didn’t have enough players. So he didn’t even have a full senior year. So it all goes back to us being able to evaluate him in camp after his junior season.”
In the blink of an eye, Tateoka has gone from a scenario where he might not have played a down all season to being the quarterback the Tommies are building around.
“If I would have come in this season and not played a down, I would have respected the decision,” Tateoka said. “The coaching here is amazing. I’ve been soaking up every moment.
We have a talented quarterback room, and I have a lot of love and respect for all the guys.”
Tateoka’s other offers were all from Division II schools — Minnesota State Mankato, Concordia-St. Paul and Northern Michigan. His dream school was the University of Wisconsin, but the Badgers showed only marginal interest, to which Tateoka now says, “I really think I belong here.”
“On all the visits I went on, the culture here felt so much different,” he said. “And it’s stayed true; the love here is crazy. Throughout the recruiting process, it was really about what felt like home.”
Tateoka was a three-sport athlete in high school; he also ran track and played basketball. But for as long as he can remember he wanted to be a college quarterback.
He was always one of the bigger kids on the team during his youth football days, so he actually spent time as an offensive lineman. “I was too big to play quarterback,’ Tateoka said with a laugh.
By seventh grade, he settled in at quarterback, and when he reached high school he was all in, connecting with a seven-on-seven coach and personal trainer in hopes of maximizing his abilities.
“He’s a raw and strong kid,” Caruso said, “with the ability to put on some serious muscle and control it really well. As his strength grows, so will his speed. One area in which he is refined is in his ability to run the football. He runs more like a running back than a quarterback who is a good runner.”
Added to that, he has what Caruso said is “well-above-average arm strength for a quarterback at this level.”
Regardless of who the starter was going to be this season, Caruso knew he would be working with an inexperienced quarterback. In Tateoka, he said, he has found one who has been able to pick up the intricacies of the position quickly while also benefitting from playing in a system that is quarterback-friendly.
“Over the years, I think we’ve done a good job — when we play a young quarterback — affording him the opportunity where he doesn’t have to be Superman,” Caruso said. “It comes
back to the running game that we have.”
Yet, there was Tateoka at the end of the game last week, delivering a perfectly thrown deep ball to Jacob Wildermuth for the game-winner.
“We ran the ball for about 300 yards in that second half,” Caruso said. “So the mental toughness that it takes to stay sharp so you can make that play when called upon, is something that might not show up at a combine workout. But you certainly saw the effects of if last Saturday.
“That two-minute drive to win the game is a microcosm of how he handled his opportunity. He was prepared for his chance, and he made the most of it.”
Briefly
The Tommies will get injured linebackers Ryan Sever and Seth Bullard back on the field, but nose tackle Jordan Titus and cornerback Branden Smith remain sidelined.
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