LIHU‘E — University of Hawai‘i head football coach Greg McMackin announced the Warriors’ 2011 recruiting class Wednesday at a press conference at the Stan Sheriff Center. McMackin and his coaching staff secured commitments from 25 high school and junior college
LIHU‘E — University of Hawai‘i head football coach Greg McMackin announced the Warriors’ 2011 recruiting class Wednesday at a press conference at the Stan Sheriff Center. McMackin and his coaching staff secured commitments from 25 high school and junior college prospects for the upcoming season.
The group is made up of 19 prep standouts and six junior college players. Caliifornia is home to the most incoming players with 13; five come from Hawai‘i; two from Washington; and one each from Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Minnesota and Ohio. Although many in the class played both sides of the ball, 15 were recruited to play defense and 10 for offens.
“I’m proud of our coaches, players, and support staff for their efforts in recruiting this Warrior class of 2011,” McMackin said. “We’ve put together a class made up of talented and fast athletes who will complement our current team. We’ve filled our needs in targeted positions that we needed to strengthen. We welcome our new recruits to our Warrior ‘ohana.”
The class includes three players who are among the state of Hawai‘i’s top prospects — linebacker Justin Vele of Farrington High School and linebacker Ben Mamea and safety Tigi Hill of perennial state powerhouse Kahuku High School. In addition, former McKinley High School standout and Eastern Arizona College lineman Tavita Woodard was a highly-coveted junior college addition.
Vele was named the O‘ahu Interscholastic Association Red East division’s defensive player of the year and was an all-state selection as a senior.
Mamea was an all-state first-team selection in both his junior and senior seasons at Kahuku. He participated in the H.U.B. Goodwill Senior Classic all-star game.
Hill was rated as the No. 3 prospect in the state of Hawai‘i and the No. 39 outside linebacker in the country. He recently took part in the 2011 Polynesian All-American Football Classic in Los Angeles.
Woodward graduated from McKinley in 2009 after also attending Kahuku as a freshman. He was named to the all-OIA Red East first team his senior season at linebacker.
Defensive back Mike Edwards, who played his freshman year at Tennessee and was recruited out of high school by numerous Big 10 schools, will be joining the program.
So will wide receiver Chris Gant, a junior college All-American out of Moorpark College in California. Chinedu Promise Amadi, of Chino High School, earned postseason honors on both sides of the ball and led his league with 24 touchdowns.
Linebacker Brenden Daley was rated the 44th-best prospect in junior college out of Ventura College.
Dominguez High’s Will Gregory was rated as the 46th-best running back prospect in the country.
The Warriors also secured commitments from three overseas prospects. Linebacker Penitito Faalologo of Fagaitua High School in American Samoa, is currently playing for the World team in the USA vs. the World all-star football game in Austin, Texas.
Offensive lineman Ben Dew of Auckland, New Zealand, played one year at World of Life Academy in Honolulu. Blake Muir is expected to boost the offensive line a 6-foot-5, 282 pounds, but was also a national title medalist in swimming and is an accomplished Australian Rules player.
