Top lineman Clements to join Warriors in August

The University of Hawaii football team is adding one of the top linemen from the most prolific passing attack in junior college last year.

Luke Clements of Blinn (Texas) College said he is joining the Rainbow Warriors next month. He will participate in the Warriors’ training camp, which opens Aug. 4, and will have four years to play three seasons. As an NCAA academic qualifier, he was at Blinn for only one year.

“It’s awesome,” Clements said of his move to Honolulu. He said he chose UH because of head coach Norm Chow’s “profile”and the offensive line’s schemes.

“I thought I would be a good fit,” Clements said.

Clements is skilled in both run blocking and pass protection. At Floresville (Texas) High, he was a blocker in a system that was “80 percent run. We played power, hit-you-in-your-mouth kind of football.”

At Blinn, he said, “It was the complete opposite. We led the country in passing yardage.”

The Buccaneers averaged 533 passing yards per game and 18.1 yards per completion. Quarterback Jake Hubenak, who threw 47 touchdown passes in 2014, signed with Texas A&M. Blinn’s three starting receivers signed with Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Utah.

Soon after arriving at Blinn, the coaches told Clements: “You need to play left tackle.”

After adjusting to the footwork, Clements developed into a dependable blind-side blocker for Hubenak.

Clements was raised in Floresville, a 20-minute drive from San Antonio. Floresville’s population is about 7,000. “Everybody knows everybody,” Clements said.

Clements played baseball and basketball until a growth spurt. He was 6-foot-1 in sixth grade. It was around that time “when I really started to like football,” he said.

As a freshman and sophomore, he played on the defensive line. “I did make an interception,” he said.

But after his sophomore season, he told the coaches: “Defense isn’t for me. I’m going to focus more on offense.”

Four years later, Clements is set to boost the Warriors’ offensive line.