UH football: Creating a buzz in the Beehive state

When Nick Rolovich was Nevada’s offensive coordinator, one of his recruiting areas was Utah. There are five Utah residents on the Wolf Pack’s spring roster.

Rolovich is continuing the Hawaii-Utah pipeline that the Warriors re-established in 2012. Quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann, who was at Weber State for two seasons, is the Warriors’ point recruiter in Utah.

Utah is an attractive recruiting area for UH. A 2013 report estimated that 13.3 percent of Utah’s population identified as Polynesian.

There are five current Warriors who attended Utah high schools: Left wideout Marcus Kemp, right wideout Ammon Barker, offensive lineman Elijah Tupai, linebacker Max Broman and slotback John Ursua.

With a mandate to find the best available players, the Warriors also would be open to recruiting players scheduled to serve church missions. They have six players on the roster who served on missions: Quarterbacks Aaron Zwahlen and Beau Reilly, slotbacks Dylan Collie and Ursua, long-snapper Noah Borden, and tight end Sione Kauhi.

COMMENTS

  1. tom May 2, 2016 8:00 am

    GOOD MORNING, HAWAII!

    Go get ’em!


  2. H-Man May 2, 2016 8:11 am

    ST, listened to your interview on the BC Show this morning. You are the face and voice of UH football. UH should put you on payroll for all that you do for them…and for us fans. Sorry, no money to contribute to supporting your pay. But lots and lots of thanks.


  3. akuhead2 May 2, 2016 8:12 am

    Morning Tom!
    Just waiting for the reports.
    Go Bows !


  4. haka May 2, 2016 8:15 am

    Wanna be a Warrior,
    Then be a Warrior!
    Find’em ‘n Get’em!


  5. Stephen Tsai May 2, 2016 8:16 am

    H-Man:
    Did you just say I have face for radio?


  6. Stephen Tsai May 2, 2016 8:16 am

    And a voice for newspapers?


  7. Stephen Tsai May 2, 2016 8:19 am

    Utah’s a big place.
    I remember the first time I covered a UH basketball game at BYU. I guess I drove north instead of south. I saw a sign: Brigham. I figured, Brigham .… Brigham Young. Nope. Wrong way.
    It’s sort of like the time I went to Waikiki in search of the weigh-in at Kalakaua Gym.


  8. Stephen Tsai May 2, 2016 8:21 am

    What’s interesting about Utah is, it seems, every other driveway had a basketball hoop. It reminded me of Indiana.
    Which brings us to this rant: With the millions of people who play basketball, how come there are few good players after the 10th pick in the NBA draft each year?


  9. islandman May 2, 2016 8:26 am

    Trevor Davis drafted in the 5th round by Green Bay. However, an article says they will have many receivers competing for spots on the team.


  10. PONO May 2, 2016 9:00 am

    ST, everyone has a basketball hoop because they have huge plots of land. Cost of living in Utah is so cheap. Also, Utah does not have a lot of people considering how much land is in the state. The population is just clustered around the interstate down the middle of the state.


  11. HawaiiMongoose May 2, 2016 9:08 am

    ST, now that spring training is over, can we find out more about the expanded Hawaii exemption supposedly approved by the NCAA? It would be interesting to hear Dave Matlin’s take on the change.


  12. letsgowarriors May 2, 2016 9:13 am

    with the 25 LOI limit, i prefer we recruit return missionaries vs. HS seniors who will be going on missions.

    Reilly and Collie signed w other schools out of HS. and we were able to get Borden and Kauhi as “free agents” when they returned from their missions.


  13. Derek May 2, 2016 9:23 am

    D-Day (decision day) for Tua Tagovailoa at 6 pm on Channel 2. Big time schools can get a top quarterback easily. Of the 6 schools Tua is considering, Hawaii needs Tua the most. With the scrutiny at Ole Miss I would cross them off. UCLA has Rosen who will be Soph. so cross them off. Texas A&M can’t seem to keep 5 star QBs from transferring so I would cross them off. So to me, it’s down to Bama, USC and Hawaii. Bama and USC has the name. But USC has a untested Head Coach, but it’s on the West Coast. Bama has the championships, the Head Coach Saban. They have so many great players that Tua might not play until his Soph or Junior year. At UH he might get to start as a freshmen assuming he does well. So, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s going to be USC. He might be swayed by Alabama because of their success. Deep down what is going to make Tua happy. Go away or play in front of his friends and family to try to resurrect a once proud football team since June Jones left. The big schools all want him, but only Hawaii needs him, badly.


  14. Wayne May 2, 2016 9:26 am

    Stephen, if you went to Brigham City, you went WAY far from Provo, haha!

    So excited about the energy of Rolo and staff. His Twitter presence is making this recruiting season even more fun for us fans!


  15. turfwar May 2, 2016 9:34 am

    Visited a friend from Hawaii while in Utah last May and yes while the cost of living is cheap so is the pay in general. At a brand name hotel I stayed at I chatted with the manager one night who happened to be a Southern Utah grad from Kaimuki. After 7 years at the hotel he worked his way up to night manager and he was making $9 an hour. But he was still able to buy a townhouse and while he knew he could make more working in the Islands he also felt he wouldn’t be able to afford his own place until he could sell his place for a profit which would take a while. BTW St George Utah is a nice place to visit and has great places for hiking like Zion National Park.


  16. H-Man May 2, 2016 9:59 am

    ST, they should make a t-shirt with “Face for radio – Voice for newspaper.” I’d buy one.


  17. Stephen Tsai May 2, 2016 10:10 am

    Hawaii Mongoose:
    I will check on that. Thanks.


  18. Stephen Tsai May 2, 2016 10:12 am

    They have a lot of good hotels in Salt Lake City, especially after the Winter Olympics.


  19. Stephen Tsai May 2, 2016 10:15 am

    Two things I like about Utah:
    1) Wide streets. It’s not like the H-1 here.
    2) Streets are on a grid. Ferd/Reardon and I get lost everywhere. We never get lost in Utah (well, except for that time I ended up in Brigham).


  20. PONO May 2, 2016 10:21 am

    Turfwar,
    Pay is lower in Utah but the cost of living is still much more affordable. There’s no way you could buy a townhouse in Hawaii even if you doubled your friends pay to $18/hr. They are calling Utah Silicon slopes now as a lot of the tech companies are moving into the Lehi/Orem/Provo area.


  21. mileHIwarrior May 2, 2016 11:02 am

    Yea Utah is beautiful. Did the Grand Circle Tour of National Parks through CO, UT, AZ, and NM. Amazing I tell ya. Still prefer to live in CO though.


  22. NorthShoreFan May 2, 2016 11:36 am

    Guud Morning Tsaikos…Bootiful Day!
    Hoping Tua really considering the Warriors. At Bama, will he really be looked at as a QB or will they convert him? At USC, with a new coach, he might get a chance at QB. At Hawaii, he really might be challenging for a starting spot. Might be a little behind but summer camp is around the corner and who knows. That’s where spots are won..or lost.
    IMUA WARRIORS!


  23. Tanman May 2, 2016 11:37 am

    Been to Zion National Park many times – beautiful in the summer, beautiful in the winter… We usually drove there from Vegas. Wanted to go to Bryce one day…

    Visited Salt Lake City once, a very friendly place.

    Although every driveway has a basketball hoop in Utah or Indiana, not everyone is tall enough to play, not everyone is strong enough to play, then, there’s no practices during the winter because of the snow, there’s no practices during the extreme heat of the summer, there’s no practices when there are storms… Then, some of the tall and strong ones will choose to play football because NFL has better pays,instead of basketball… May be that’s why hardly has any great basketball players after each year’s top 10 has been


  24. Bryson May 2, 2016 11:54 am

    NSF Tua is a Junior he will be a senior next school year,so he wouldn’t be here until summer of 2017


  25. st. anthony trojan May 2, 2016 12:48 pm

    Went to Utah a few times…one time got to hear the Mormon tabernacle choir rehearse…was lucky that one….then one time I felt like big john Daly…went to a gold course there in Orem.. n hit the longest drives of my life…seemed like the ball would never stop….remember a par five up hill…2 dudes in front of me…n they looked far away enough for me to hit my drive…wow…it sailed over their heads n rolled n they looked back at me…he he he…me just waved…..2 shots to reach the green… never did that before ne where…is always a 3 club hole for me to reach green…on par 5’s…was enjoyable till the rain came…went one time summer n one time winter…snow n flat as far as the eye can see…different country ….when seasons change…

    Was Danny Ainge from Utah ?


  26. Rodney May 2, 2016 1:20 pm

    I hope USC or Bama ain’t in
    Town while uh coaches are away recruiting.!!!!!
    Wishing Tua to become a
    Warrior and starter for 4 yrs!


  27. Warbow May 2, 2016 3:23 pm

    I think Tua’s going to USC. Alabama being looked at by the NCAA.

    http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25574216/ncaa-investigates-resigned-alabama-assistant-for-impermissible-contact


  28. Stephen Tsai May 2, 2016 3:36 pm

    I think it would be nice if Tua went to UH, but doubt that’s going to happen. If UH truly were in the running, it would be a top-five list, not six.
    Plus, why choose now without visiting the schools? A lot can change in nine months.


  29. Derek May 2, 2016 3:51 pm

    I would hope that at least Fred Ulu Perry got a chance to talk to Tua about coming to Hawaii with him. Stutz would be the one UH coach to talk to him also, besides Rolo.


  30. st. anthony trojan May 2, 2016 4:04 pm

    Me think his point was…that he did not want that question mark on his mind during his last season at st. louis…n not want to be bothered by phone calls n
    e-mails etc. from recruiting schools that may be still interested in him…

    But me is sure he will still get txt msg etc. ne way.. but guess he hopes will not be as much… n he can still change his mind ne way…on signing day…


  31. Rodney May 2, 2016 5:12 pm

    NCAA investigation at Bama!
    Really? Its Bama! I chuckle!
    It’s like UNC basketball, what
    a farce tha NCAA!!!
    I’m reading Bama blogs and
    it sucks, sounds like the kids
    father mention Bama weeks ago. Hope not true ! 🙁


  32. NorthShoreFan May 2, 2016 5:53 pm

    Some want to continue with winning programs and some want to start new ones. Actually night and day differences in conference and programs. Would you like to go to Bama or UH on a scholarship?
    What ever he decides, he’ll make the most of it.


  33. S.peezy55 May 2, 2016 5:57 pm

    Just sitting here, in front of my TV crossing my fingers, hoping Tua picks UH.

    GO BOWS!!!


  34. S.peezy55 May 2, 2016 6:24 pm

    Good luck Tua, make Hawaii proud!!


  35. Akamai Okole May 2, 2016 6:29 pm

    Great Evening All!

    Roll-O!

    heheheh


  36. NorthShoreFan May 2, 2016 6:34 pm

    Roll Tide….!


  37. islandman May 2, 2016 6:55 pm

    He said they all go to church on Sundays in Alabama. Not enough churchgoers on the Hawaii staff maybe.


  38. NorthShoreFan May 2, 2016 7:07 pm

    Me thinks it made him feel comfortable. Southern hospitality is alive there too. Good Luck Tua, light em up!


  39. A-House May 2, 2016 7:16 pm

    Hawaii football players who do well are seldom referred to as being from Hawaii; media types all refer to the college they attended

    so, as much as the player himself says he represents Hawaii, the mainland audience will always hear “he went to Oregon or Boise State or Washington or whatever” — their rationale representing Hawaii does not coincide with mainland reality.

    all it does is make the Power5 conferences take a “harder” look at selected athletes and recruit the hell out of it be it football or basketball or volleyball or golf.

    so, why do so many former Hawaii residents playing football want to come home? the “fantasy illusion/bubble” burst and reality sets in? “home sickness”?

    agree that Ulu Perry and Stutz and Rolo should sit and talk with Tua about the “real benefits” of representing UH at home and away — maybe they have and told playing on mainland is #1.

    seeing the number of former UH football players living in Hawaii was a wake up call for me — it’s good to see them at practice and giving hints/techniques to the current players — I’m sure it happens on the mainland too, but having Michael Bennet visit and share his knowledge was awesome cause and I’m a dedicated 49er fan to the core!!! must give him the respect he deserves and will look more kindly when he sacks the 49er QB or crushes a Niner RB.

    I have been a 49er fan since 1947 when I would cozy up to the radio pretending I was helping my uncle with the garden and remember a 49er RB was the first, to the best of my knowledge, “coming out” to say he was “gay” — I was young then and said, “he’s happy” — ah, the innocence of being young!!


  40. legistlature May 2, 2016 8:19 pm

    2020 Tua Man enters the Draft
    2020 Tua’s younger Bro commits to UH as his current OC accepts the HC position at UH


  41. st. anthony trojan May 2, 2016 9:40 pm

    Not trying to put ne thoughts into ne ones mind… but me is pretty sure when his father transfers there for a job…bama boosters will surely see he gets a good one…what ever his trade is..

    And not think he will get to homesick if parents are there.. n he can be his own bed every nite…


  42. hossana May 2, 2016 11:14 pm

    All you people wishing Tua would consider Hawaii….give me a break…all the negative comments about Tua going to Alabama are people just envious of his choice instead of coming to Hawaii….give me a break….a person of his talent playing for UH?? All you people going “gagga” over Rolo….once Rolo lost Kaepernick….who did he recruit as his QB and his offense became just an ordinary run of the mill such that even Hawaii’s offense was better than Rolo’s in our previous H.C.’s 3rd year where it was averaging over 40 ppg. but the defense was giving up over 45 ppg.


  43. S.peezy55 May 2, 2016 11:49 pm

    So negative…


  44. S.peezy55 May 2, 2016 11:52 pm

    Nothing wrong with me or anybody else wishing for a player of that caliber to come to UH. It’s better than being negative that’s for sure.


  45. mileHIwarrior May 3, 2016 3:29 am

    #42 – You mad bro?


  46. wow May 3, 2016 7:03 am

    #42, lol


  47. cappie the dog May 3, 2016 7:50 am

    Lots of bad feelings when top QB prospect Gunner Kiel spurned Indiana. As it turns out, Nate Sudfeld was better.

    Good luck, Tua Tagovailoa.

    If you emerge as ‘Bama’s starter one day, I will be a temporary Crimson Tide fan.

    Let’s get behind Zwahlen.


  48. Inyoface May 3, 2016 7:56 am

    If UH got Tua it would’ve been the biggest local qb recruit since Timmy Chang. Not sure if he’ll like Alabama after a couple of years, Oregon might’ve been a better choice with the bigger local presence but I guess we’ll see if he flourishes there or request a transfer back home.


  49. ponojr May 3, 2016 8:06 am

    #42 Rolo never had Kap.


  50. PONO May 3, 2016 8:26 am

    Everyone has to make a choice that’s best for themselves. Hope it works out for Tua. Hope he does well but I’m a UH fan so I won’t waste time being concerned about him.


  51. Bryson May 3, 2016 8:35 am

    Stephen can you shed any light on the possible loss of a UH DL commit from this year’s class?


  52. What??? May 3, 2016 8:52 am

    #40 You hoping for Rolo to fail or to do so well that he leaves?


  53. NotNasti May 3, 2016 8:58 am

    Hossana,
    I’ll give you a break. You need one.


  54. NorthShoreFan May 3, 2016 9:04 am

    Guud Morning Tsaikos…Bootiful Day!
    Our Boyz are getting a lot of attention from big conferences now. Shows the talent is there and being recognized…beeg time!


  55. Walterm May 3, 2016 9:13 am

    #42…are you isle boy… from the other board…?


  56. Stephen Tsai May 3, 2016 9:59 am

    New post: http://hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=37287


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