In sickness and in health, football recruits are expected to live up to their vows to sign with Hawaii today.
“No doubt, I’m going to be a Warrior,” said Trayvon Henderson, a safety from Grant Union High in California.
Today is the first day of the NCAA signing period for football prospects.
Henderson reaffirmed his commitment despite a miserable recruiting trip to Hawaii last weekend. He suffered a spider bite before leaving on the trip. He then had an adverse reaction to the antibiotics.
“When I went out there, I was throwing up and stuff,” Henderson said. “I was really sick. When I was outside, I had a nice time. But I was mostly asleep in the hotel room. I was trying to get my rest.”
Henderson added: “I have the next four years to enjoy Hawaii.”
The Warriors sent out 22 letters of intent this week. Today is the earliest they may be signed. A faxed copy of a signed letter is considered a binding agreement.
Defensive end/offensive lineman Dejon Allen, who signed last year but counts toward this year’s class, does not have to sign a letter.
Offensive tackle David Griffin, tight end Josh Long, linebackers Julian Gener and Tevita Lataimua, and receiver Vasquez Haynes are junior-college transfers who signed in December. Griffin, Long and Gener are attending UH this semester. Lataimua and Haynes need to earn additional credits to transfer.
“I’ll be there in the summer,” said Haynes, who is on track to earn an associate’s degree at Blinn College in Texas.
The NCAA Clearinghouse notified Haynes that a high school English class was not considered a core requirement. He took another English class in the summer of 2011 before enrolling at Blinn. He was told that second class also did not meet the core requirements. The NCAA rejected his 54-page appeal. That ruling meant Haynes was a non-qualifier out of high school and needed to earn an associate’s degree before transferring to an NCAA school.
“It was a small bump in the road,” Haynes said. “At the end of the day, I’m a Warrior 100 percent.”
Running back Diocemy Saint Juste of Santaluces High in New Jersey, quarterback Aaron Zwahlen of Downey High in California and defensive tackle Kennedy Tulimasealii of Waianae High said they were heavily pursued by other schools after making oral commitments to UH.
The day after Tulimasealii pledged to the Warriors, 10 other schools contacted him.
“The main thing is I want to play in front of my family and friends,” Tulimasealii said.
Illinois, Memphis, Rutgers, Miami, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Colorado State and Nevada were calling Saint Juste through Tuesday night.
“I’m good to go with Hawaii,” Saint Juste said.
Zwahlen’s father was a Brigham Young receiver when UH coach Norm Chow was a young assistant at BYU. The Zwahlen family visited Hawaii last spring. Zwahlen accepted a UH offer, after which his stock grew. He is considered to be one of the top quarterbacks in the West. Even though Zwahlen will go on a two-year church mission beginning in June, he received numerous offers.
“It was easy to turn them down,” Zwahlen said. “Hawaii is an easy place to call home. The people there are great. The coaches are great. Hawaii made it a lot easier. If it were any other school, I’d probably go somewhere else. But there’s no question I’ll be signing with Hawaii.”