In search of a high-motor defender, the Hawaii football team secured a commitment from a hybrid.

Ezra Evaimalo, a versatile defensive end from Kamehameha Schools, has made an oral commitment to accept a 2020 scholarship from the Rainbow Warriors. The earliest Evaimalo, a junior, may sign a national letter of intent is in December.

UH had made the offer in June 2018. Evaimalo and his parents weighed the options last week. Evaimalo waited to announce his decision on his mother’s birthday on Tuesday. A four-year football scholarship from UH is valued at about $100,000.

“It doesn’t add up to what she’s done for me,” Evaimalo said. “It’s pretty much a birthday present.”

Kamehameha coach Abu Maafala described Evaimalo as a “phenomenal player. UH is getting a really, really high-motor guy. He understands how to use his hands. He’s athletic. He plays with a high level of intensity.”

Evaimalo, who is 6 feet 2 and 225 pounds, was used as an open-end defender in Kamehameha’s four-man front. Maafala said the defensive scheme will be tweaked this season to allow Evaimalo to align more often as a stand-up end and outside linebacker.

“We want to take advantage of his athleticism,” Maafala said. “He’s a three-sport athlete. He also plays basketball and volleyball. He has tremendous athletic ability. He’s still at his best when he’s going after the quarterback. That’s something we can’t stop letting him do. He’s one of the best in the state at getting to the quarterback.”

Maafala said he does not keep specific statistics on sacks and pressures, but Evaimalo “had a bunch of them. He goes on these spurts where he rips off a bunch of sacks in games. The pressure he creates on quarterbacks, that’s just as important as sacks. He’s a constant menace to any quarterback in putting pressure and making the pocket collapse.”

Maafala said Evaimalo has many of the same traits as Kaimana Padello, UH’s hybrid end. “He’s built like a house,” Maafala said of Evaimalo. “He’s strong. … He’ll get big enough where he can slide and put his hand in the dirt and play 3 technique and give the (UH) coaches a little bit of an option on those downs as well.”

Evaimalo said he is a long-time fan of UH. His uncle is former UH and NFL center Samson Satele.

Evaimalo will be the latest to join the Warrior-to-Warrior pipeline, following Kamehameha alumni Kumoku Noa, Jonah Kahahawai-Welch and Tiger Peterson.

Earlier, UH received a 2020 commitment from Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala, a two-way player from Campbell.