ESPN reported the University of Hawaii offered an 11-year-old a scholarship over the weekend. Titan Lacaden, a fifth-grade quarterback from Kapolei, posted on Twitter he had received a verbal offer from Rainbow Warriors football head coach Nick Rolovich. “Blessed with
ESPN reported the University of Hawaii offered an 11-year-old a scholarship over the weekend.
Titan Lacaden, a fifth-grade quarterback from Kapolei, posted on Twitter he had received a verbal offer from Rainbow Warriors football head coach Nick Rolovich.
“Blessed with a D1 offer. Thank you Coach Rolo!! @NickRolovich #Future #defendpriderock #UHWarriors,” the tweet read, which was posted on Saturday.
Rolovich declined to comment on the subject following a youth football camp Wednesday at Vidinha Stadium.
According to ESPN, Lacaden is the younger brother of former University of Nevada linebacker Jake Lacaden. Rolovich was the offensive coordinator at Nevada for part of his time at Nevada.
Lacaden’s father, Frank, is a youth and high school football coach. Frank Lacaden took his son and a group, a team called the All Blacks Crusaders, to a camp at UH on Saturday where he met Rolovich.
“(Rolovich) said he likes Titan and what he does. We both agreed that he’s different, he carries himself differently,” Frank Lacaden said to ESPN. “They said they want to offer a scholarship and asked me how I felt about it. I know what my older son went through in the recruiting process and it’s difficult, especially with us being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. So when opportunity knocks, you answer the door.”
The father added he takes the verbal offer as not just a kind act.
“When you offer someone, I take it serious,” Frank Lacaden said. “I do understand he’s 11 years old, but we take it serious. Here on the island, we keep our nose on the ground and keep grinding, so that’s what he’s going to keep doing, keep grinding.”
The verbal scholarship offer came about a week after Florida Atlantic University head coach Lane Kiffin offered sixth-grade quarterback Pierce Clarkson, the son of quarterback guru Steve Clarkson.
Kiffin also offered seventh-grade quarterback Kaden Martin, the son of USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin, in the past month, according to the report.
