The Hawaii football team continued to add speedy receivers with Saturday’s commitment from Rico Bussey Jr.
Bussey, who played the past four seasons at North Texas, announced on Twitter he is joining the Rainbow Warriors as a graduate transfer this summer.
Bussey is 6 feet 2, 193 pounds and capable of sprinting 40 yards in sub-4.5 seconds.
He was limited to three games in 2019 after suffering a knee injury. But he qualified for a medical hardship because he played in fewer than four games, enabling him to play a fifth season in 2020. Bussey entered the NCAA transfer portal in February.
In 2018, Bussey caught 68 passes for 1,017 yards, and ranked eighth nationally with 12 touchdowns. He averaged 15 yards per catch, including 16.8 yards on third down. He had 10 receptions of 25-plus yards.
Bussey entered the 2019 season on the Biletnikoff Award watch list as the nation’s top college receiver. In the 2019 opener, he caught four passes for 156 yards against Abiline Christian.
Bussey was a 3-star prospect as an Eisenhower High senior in 2015. He is the seventh receiver in this year’s 2020 recruiting class. Left wideout Jared Smart is the lone returning full-time starter from last year’s four-receiver offense.
In December, the Warriors signed Hilo High’s Kilohana Haasenritter and Campbell High’s Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala. Calvin Turner, who was a quarterback last year, also signed and is projected to compete at receiver.
In February, UH signed Zion Bowens of Long Beach City College, Quinshone “Quin” Brown of Cedar Hill (Texas) High and Riley Wilson of Prestonwood Christian Academy in Proper, Texas.
—
NEED FOR SPEED
Receivers in the University of Hawaii football team’s 2020 signing class
Player | Ht. | Wt. | Previous school
>> Zion Bowens, 6-1, 200, Long Beach (Calif.) City College
>> Rico Bussey Jr., 6-2, 193, North Texas
>> Quinshone “Quin” Brown, 5-9, 170, Cedar Hill (Texas) High
>> Riley Wilson, 6-1, 180, Prestonwood Christian Academy (Texas)
>> Kilohana Haasenritter, 5-10, 170, Hilo High
>> Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala, 5-10, 170, Campbell High
>> Calvin Turner, 6-1, 195, Jacksonville (Fla.) University
