Larry “Tui” Tuileta, who was once the state’s best high school football and volleyball player, is preparing to transfer to the University of Hawaii.
Tuileta requested — and secured — a release from USC on Tuesday afternoon.
Tuileta, who is 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds, has notified UH football coach Nick Rolovich and volleyball coach Charlie Wade, according to people familiar with the situation.
Tuileta’s transfer comes a month after Fred Ulu-Perry, a nationally ranked offensive lineman from Saint Louis School, received a release from his UCLA football scholarship and then signed a scholarship agreement with the Warriors.
Tuileta was the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Offensive Player of the Year as a Punahou School senior quarterback in 2013. He led the Buffanblu to an 11-0 record and the 2013 state championship.
As good as Tuileta was in football for the Buffanblu, he was even better in volleyball as an outside hitter.
He helped the Buffanblu win three consecutive state volleyball titles. He was named Volleyball Magazine’s 2014 national Player of the Year.
Tuileta also was one of the most accomplished players in club-volleyball history. Tuileta was the leader of Ka Ulukoa Club teams that won national age-group titles for the 12s, 13s, 14s, 15, 16s and 17s. He was named the national tournament’s most valuable player for the 15s, 16s and 17s.
As a Punahou junior in April 2013, Tuileta made an oral commitment to play football and volleyball at UH. But two weeks before signing day, Tuileta changed his mind. At the signing ceremony on Feb. 5, 2014, Tuileta put on a USC cap.
Tuileta redshirted as a freshman quarterback in 2014. After the winter break, he joined the USC volleyball team in January 2015. He played in 26 matches, with 12 starts, as a freshman outside hitter. The Trojans reached the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs. Tuileta was named to the MPSF All-Freshman team.
Tuileta was not on the USC football team’s active roster this past season.
It has not been determined if Tuileta will be able to finalize his transfer in time for the start of UH’s spring semester, which begins on Monday.
UH volleyball player Kupono Fey praised his former Punahou teammate’s leadership.
“He’s one of those players that people gravitate to,” Fey said. “He’s a person and a player you can rely on. That’s always good to have on a team. He’s played in the (MPSF) a year, and that’s something helpful.”
Fey and Tuileta have had several conversations. “We both feel this is the place he should be,” Fey said.