In the first period of the recruiting process, the Hawaii football team addressed key areas with the signing of 10 prospects.
“Building from the line of scrimmage gives us a chance,” said UH coach Nick Rolovich, referencing the signed commitments from three defensive linemen and an offensive lineman. “I don’t want to skimp on those places.”
Wednesday was first day of the early signing period for football prospects. The second signing period begins Feb. 5.
Entering Wednesday, the Rainbow Warriors already had earmarked four of their 2020 initial scholarships. Left guard Michael Eletise, defensive end Mark Blocker II, and linebacker Isaiah Tufaga are blueshirts who are on this season’s team but whose scholarships can be counted toward the 2020 class. Eletise transferred from Arizona in August, and Tufaga played at Oregon State in 2018.
Defensive lineman Gabriel Iniguez committed to the Warriors the past February as a redshirt, delaying his enrollment to UH until next month.
“I’m sure he’ll be pretty hungry sitting out a season,” Rolovich said of Iniguez. “He did a nice job in staying focused and continuing in the weight room. He’ll come in with a body that will be ready to give us some snaps, I think.”
Rolovich said the plan was to recruit heavily in Hawaii. The Warriors signed defensive end Ezra Evaimalo of Kamehameha, offensive lineman Micah Soliai Howlett of Kahuku and receivers Kilohana Haasenritter of Hilo, Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala of Campbell.
“These four guys (from Hawaii) who signed today really have a desire to play for Hawaii, and I think that matters,” Rolovich said.
The Warriors signed place-kicker Matt Shipley of Liberty Hill (Texas) High as the projected successor to Ryan Meskell, a senior who completes his UH eligibility with Tuesday’s SoFi Hawaii Bowl.
Daveon “Dae Dae” Hunter, who rushed for 1,748 yards and 33 touchdowns as a Chandler (Ariz.) High senior, will boost the running-back unit. Dayton Furuta and KK Padello are seniors. Fred Holly III is no longer with the Warriors after entering the transfer portal. Miles “Bam Bam” Reed and Hekili Keli‘iliki are the remaining backs.
“Dae Dae and Bam Bam,” said Rolovich, smiling.
Calvin Turner, who was Jacksonville’s starting quarterback, is joining as a receiver. Jacksonville announced this month it is dropping its football program after 22 seasons.
“I know their head coach, and when they dropped their program, he called me and said, ‘I’ve got one guy I know who can play at your level,’” Rolovich said. “He was an option quarterback. We’ll try him at receiver. We’ll give him the spring, and see how he takes to that. I think who he is as a person will make him successful.”
A look at the University of Hawaii football team’s signing class with comments from Rainbow Warriors head coach Nick Rolovich.
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOOTBALL SIGNEES • BY STEPHEN TSAI, STAR-ADVERTISER
A look at the University of Hawaii football team’s signing class with comments from Rainbow Warriors head coach Nick Rolovich.
Ezra Evaimalo
>> Defensive end
>> 6-1, 225 pounds
>> Kamehameha
>> Rolovich: “I love Ezra’s versatility and passion for the game. He plays very hard. He knows how to rush the passer. He still has some growth potential. He’s a really good person. He was raised very well. I think he’ll be in the D-line room. We’ll see where his body takes him.”
Kilohana Haasenritter
>> Slotback
>> 5-10, 170
>> Hilo
>> Rolovich: “Kilohana also has some versatility. We’re going to start him off at the slot. I think he has a good football IQ. I think he’s been dreaming about this opportunity for a long time. He’s going to want to put on for the Neighbor Islands, to show there are Neighbor Island kids who can play at UH. He comes off a team that had a great year as state champions. He’s a winner. He’s got winner characteristic in everything he does.”
Daveon “Dae Dae” Hunter
>> Running back
>> 5-11, 195
>> Chandler (Ariz.) High
>> Rolovich: “I love his ability to be an early contributor. … He stayed true to what he was looking for. He could have very easily been a power-five guy if he waited. He could have gone to some other schools. But he really enjoyed what Hawaii had to offer him. That’s what we want. We don’t want to trick anybody to come here.”
Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala
>> Slotback
>> 5-10, 170
>> Campbell
>> Rolovich: “He’s cut in the same description as Kilohana. He’ll go into a slot. He played in the run and shoot with coach (June) Jones his freshman year, so he’s got that kind of lens where he looks at more of the complete defense than just the route he’s assigned to run. He’ll attack football the right way. It’s important to him. Tamatoa, I think, was our first commit. He’s got some pride. That’s what we want for Pride Rock. He wants to do it for Pride Rock.”
Sterlin Ortiz
>> Safety
>> 5-11, 185
>> Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
>> Rolovich: “We’re really happy about him. He’s another good tackler. He’s twitchy, to me, on film. … He’s a smart football player. He can direct our stuff back there.”
Matt Shipley
>> Kicker
>> 6-1, 170
>> Liberty Hill (Texas) High
>> Rolovich: “He was invited to the Under Armour All-American Bowl. Good-sized kicker. Long-levered. He’s going to be asked to step in after (Ryan) Meskell, and be the guy who makes all our kicks for us. … We knew if we found a guy who can do it as a freshman … we were going to go ahead and invest in (a kicker), if we felt confident with it.”
Kemon Smith
>> Defensive tackle
>> 6-2, 280
>> Blinn College (Texas)
>> Rolovich: “Him and his father came on the visit. What helped us there was how we treat our current players. DJuan (Matthews, a Blinn alumnus) wouldn’t lie to his friend. He said this is how it is. I’m not sure of the exact description but it really sold Kemon. He knows he’s going to be asked to be a contributor. And I think pairing back up with DJuan was something he was excited about.”
Micah Soliai Howlett
>> Offensive lineman
>> 6-4, 295
>> Kahuku
>> Rolovich: “Micah’s a very good player. In my mind, he can play every position on the line. I think he can be a tackle. I know he can be a guard. As far as center, he seems a very high-IQ football guy. I can see him (there) if he had to play center. What I like is the athleticism. He’s a good-sized kid. He’s probably college-ready body type, which doesn’t mean we can’t develop and improve him. He’s coming here with a high launching point.”
Maurice Ta‘ala
>> Defensive tackle
>> 6-1, 305
>> Faga‘itua High (American Samoa)
>> Rolovich: “(Older brother) Blessman has been a tremendous player for us. What Blessman also has been is diligent in the classroom, how he acts in the community. Football is a very enjoyable activity for him. He likes playing football. We expect Maurice to be the same way. A little bit of a different body type, but I think now Blessman will continue his mentorship of his brother in a different arena than just the household. We’re very happy to have Maurice with us.”
Calvin Turner
>> Receiver
>> 6-1, 195
>> Jacksonville (Fla.) University
>> Rolovich: “We were looking for an older body to add to the receiver room. Spring will be important for the wide-receiver group. We gotta see what these young guys are all about. … Calvin is going to be someone who benefits from this experience. I think he’ll fit in great with the overall values we try to live with.
