Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais had Pee Wee offensive linemen shaking in their cleats.

An enormous and physical athlete in his middle school days, Cherry Creek’s star defensive tackle demanded everyone’s attention.

UConn-bound running back Jayden Fox can still vividly recall being on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage from his now-high school teammate. Needless to say, it left an impression.

“I remember him always grunting on the line before we hiked the ball,” Fox recalled with a laugh. “My O-line was scared of him. Like petrified. We had to come up with a game plan to double-team him, or we’d run to the outside and avoid him on the inside. He was nearly impossible to block one-on-one.”

Not much has changed in the years since.

Umu-Cais is now the top-ranked prospect in Colorado’s C

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