The Hawaii football team went deep in the heart of Texas to land a deep-threat receiver.
Vasquez Haynes of Blinn College said he made an oral commitment to play for the Warriors.
Haynes said he will sign a national letter of intent on Saturday, then enroll at UH in January. He will compete in the Warriors’ spring training.
"It felt like home," Haynes said of his recruiting trip last weekend. "It felt comfortable. I had a nice bond with the coaches. I feel it’s the right place for me."
Haynes was a second-year freshman last season. He will have three years to play three UH seasons.
Haynes, who was raised in Houston, is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds.
His parents were basketball players at Texas Southern. Ingrid Haynes, who earned a Ph.D., is now a professor at her alma mater. Kevin Granger is Texas Southern’s assistant athletic director.
As a college senior, Granger led the nation in scoring with a 27.0 average during the 1995-96 season. Granger had a brief stint with the Golden State Warriors before playing basketball overseas.
Vasquez Haynes competed in football, basketball, baseball, track and swimming at Houston’s Westbury Christian School.
"After playing under Charlie Ward, it steered him to football," Granger said.
Ward, who is Westbury’s football coach, was the 1993 Heisman Trophy winner as a Florida State quarterback. He played 11 seasons in the NBA with the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.
While Ward chose basketball, Haynes felt he had a better future in football.
Haynes redshirted during his first year at Blinn, a school with football ties to UH. Defensive backs Ryan Mouton and Jacob Patek played at Blinn and UH.
Blinn opened the season with a four-wide offense. But the schemes were altered after some players were suspended.
"We didn’t have as many weapons as when we started," Haynes said.
Haynes’ build and breakaway skills attracted the Warriors, who were looking to boost their offense.
Haynes said he enjoyed his UH trip, which included tours of the campus and Oahu. He even saw turtles.
"Hopefully my next hobby can be taking long walks on the beach," Haynes said.
Granger said: "He’s very humble. He came from a humble beginning. To see him mature into a man and keep everything in the right perspective, I feel proud of him."
