COMMITMENT: NFL Academy OT Nikau Hepi commits to Auburn
Big international offensive tackle Nikau Hepi has committed to Auburn.
Hepi, who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 353 pounds, announced his decision Tuesday on social media. He chose Auburn over offers from Florida State, UAB and USF, among others.
“Auburn has always held a special place in my heart,” Hepi said.
The Tigers offered Hepi in February despite him having never played American football. Auburn in June got the chance to see Hepi in person as he competed in the Tigers’ Elite Camp.
Auburn apparently liked what it saw.
“Being my first offer and the first to recognize me, the first to reach out, yes, it means a lot,” Hepi said.
Hepi originally is from New Zealand and is attending the NFL Academy in Queensland, a state in northern Australia.
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“I have been playing football for around five months now,” he said in February. “We don’t have competition for (football) in Australia. There aren’t many teams to compete against. That’s why the NFL Academy has set up a program here on the Gold Coast, to get the talent that doesn’t have the resources to put out themselves to the world.
“The goal for me is to play American football in college. That’s my goal.”
And now he’s on his way to reaching it at Auburn.
Hepi is the sixth commitment in the Tigers’ 2026 class and second offensive lineman, joining interior offensive lineman Parker Pritchett.