Penn State has added former UCLA Bruin Siale Taupaki to its 2026 roster.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, Taupaki has already spent seven seasons playing college football. From 2019 to 2021, he used a regular redshirt season and a medical redshirt. Of course, 2020 wasn’t held against any player due to the pandemic.

Taupaki then played in the first two games of the 2022 season before missing the remainder of the season. It’s believed that he was given another waiver for that season, which is how he’s now earned one final season of college football.

Up until 2024, Taupaki was actually an offensive lineman for the Bruins, playing left guard. He totaled 115 snaps in a reserve role when he returned from injury. That was also the final season under former head coach Chip Kelly.

More: Former Boston College safety Omarion Davis commits to Penn State

When DeShaun Foster took over in 2024, that’s when Taupaki moved to the defensive side of the ball, totaling 272 snaps in all 12 games for the Bruins that season. He totaled 23 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and a sack that season.

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Taupaki played in all 12 games again this past season, getting his first start against Indiana in early October. He totaled 15 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and one fumble recovery.

He’s now the second former UCLA defenisve tackle to join the Nittany Lions following Matt Campbell’s decision to hire Ikaika Malloe as his defensive line coach. On Jan. 4, Penn State hosted senior Keanu Williams, who spent time at Oregon before transferring to UCLA to play under Malloe. He then committed the following day, citing Malloe as a major reason why.