University of Hawaii linebacker Makani Kema-Kaleiwahea has been granted an exemption that will allow him to play this football season.

During the 2014 fall semester, Kema-Kaleiwahea requested — and received — a release from his University of Arizona football scholarship because of family related issues that required him to move back to Hawaii. Kema-Kaleiwahea, who was raised in Hawaii, was known as Keoni Bush-Loo as a Kamehameha Schools student.

Kema-Kaleiwahea then contacted UH coaches, who eventually made a scholarship offer. He was announced as part of the Warriors’ 2015 recruiting class on signing day this past February.

Transfers between Football Bowl Subdivision schools are required to redshirt for a season before being eligible to play for the second school. In past years, the NCAA waived the redshirt requirement for special cases.

This fall, the NCAA is implementing a rule that discontinues the exemption. The NCAA initially ruled that the exclusion would extend to FBS transfers who enrolled at the start of the 2015 spring semester. But the NCAA then rescinded the spring provision. Kema-Kaleiwahea re-applied for the exemption, which was granted Friday morning.

Kema-Kaleiwahea is projected to compete for a starting job at outside linebacker.