He started his college career at Sacramento State, where he redshirted the first year and then started four games in 2013. He transfered to City College of San Francisco and had 40 receptions for 658 yards and four touchdowns there. Louisville signed him and that's where he finished his college career. In 2016, he had 50 receptions for 668 yards and eight touchdowns.
NFL.com projected that Hikutini would be selected in round 6 or 7 of the NFL Draft.
Lance Zierlein of NFL Media, who compares Hikutini to Mychal Rivera, had the following to say in his scouting report:
"Athletic move tight end prospect with natural hands and the quickness to create separation along his routes. He has NFL ball skills to win in competitive catch situations and he will be a challenge for linebackers to cover in space. Hikutini lacks NFL toughness as a blocker which could put a ceiling on his draft value. He will have to prove he can play special teams as he waits for his turn as a pass-catching option."
Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst had the following to say in his scouting report:
"Hikutini elevated his game in 2016 and is a tall, thin pass-catching tight end who consistently gets down the field to create mismatches in the secondary. He needs to improve his blocking and physically mature but could produce for a team that lines him up as a move tight end."
Pro Football Focus had the following to say in their draft analysis:
"Hikutini shows some potential as a receiving option, but as of now he's not dominant enough in that aspect of his game to makeup for how much he'd likely struggle as a run blocker. Hikutini will likely need to show that he can contribute on special teams initially if he's going to have a shot at making a game-day roster; and if he can make strides as a run-blocker he could be a decent move tight end down the road."
Measurables
Height: 6-4
Weight: 247 lbs.
Arm length: 32 3/4 inches
Hand length: 10 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
Bench press: 20 reps
College Statistics
| Year | G | Rec | Yds | YPC | TD |
| 2013 | 9 | 21 | 204 | 9.7 | 5 |
| 2015 | 11 | 19 | 348 | 18.3 | 3 |
| 2016 | 13 | 50 | 668 | 13.3 | 8 |
| Totals | 33 | 90 | 1,220 | 13.6 | 16 |
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