Real Name, Real Game: 4-Star DT Boss Tagaloa Weighing Options in His Top 12

Few names fit a defensive lineman like the one of Concord (California) De La Salle's 4-star talent.

Boss Tagaloa.

And no, Boss is not a nickname.

"I get that all the time, but that is actually my birth name," Tagaloa said. "My dad came up with it. His dad used to call everyone 'boss' out of respect. That just kind of stuck with my dad, and he carried that with him and named his son.

"Every day. I get that every time I meet someone new. They'll ask what my name is, I'll tell them Boss and they'll say, 'What's your real name?' I'll have to explain it to them."

With the name comes responsibility, and Tagaloa fits the role. As the nation's No. 9 defensive tackle and a top-60 player overall, Tagaloa is balancing just south of 20 offers and has Pac-12 schools hoping he stays close to home.

Tagaloa, who measured at Nike's The Opening Oakland regional at 6'1" and 303 pounds, said he won't make a college decision until national signing day in February. Tagaloa trimmed his list to a top 12 last Friday, a list that includes seven schools from the Pac-12, four representing the SEC and one out of the Big Ten.

The 12 schools in alphabetical order: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Michigan, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah and Washington.

"I'm looking at who can give me the best education after football," Tagaloa said. "It's all about life after football. I want to get a good education."

That, and be a boss—no pun intended—on the field. Per MaxPreps.com, Tagaloa finished his junior season with 31 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He had a breakout season his sophomore year, finishing with 57 tackles and 7.5 sacks.

Tagaloa is looking forward to a senior year he's considering as one to show his talents off to the schools that have been sleeping on him.

"I'm ready to show that I am better than the year before," he said. "I just want to prove it to myself and show these colleges that I am who they think I am."

For a 300-pounder, Tagaloa moves very well laterally and uses his leg and upper-body strength to frustrate offensive linemen. As good as he is on the defensive side of the ball, Tagaloa also is a solid interior lineman on offense.

The only knock on Tagaloa is his height. At 6'1", he doesn't have the prototypical size for a college defensive tackle.

But then again, height never stopped Tagaloa from being a dominant player on a team with a well-established reputation nationally.

"God blessed me with this height and to do something with it," Tagaloa said. "If it's not football, then I know he has something planned for me. I don't have to say anything to anyone. God doesn't put you in positions where you can't succeed in life. I feel like he blessed me with this height for a reason."

Tagaloa said UCLA, Utah, Washington, Alabama and Arizona are among the schools that could make the final cut before decision day, but there's still time for all 12 schools to make a major push. Until then, he said he is focusing on working hard and making sure he doesn't get complacent.

It's the right thing to do for an athlete with the fitting first name.

"Personally, I think it's the greatest name you can have," he said.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles