Feature on the early recruiting this season at UH

About why he signed with Colorado out of high school instead of UH, David Veikune said that UH:
“didn’t start to recruit me until the week before the signing date. If they tried earlier, I would have stayed home. This was the first place I wanted to go.” (HA)

HA Note: “The previous five years, the Warriors’ strategy was to bring in recruits in the three weekends leading to the start of the NCAA signing period, which is always the first Wednesday in February. Because of a limited recruiting budget, many of those prospects were discovered from videos they had submitted.”

About how UH contacted him late, Michael Washington said:
“They contacted me real late. I gave my verbal to Cal when (the UH coaches) asked me to visit Hawai’i.” (HA)

HA Note: “But the recruiting emphasis has changed under Greg McMackin, who was hired as the Warriors’ head coach in January. The recruiting budget was expanded, a trade agreement was reached with an airline, and former UH defensive tackle Tony Tuioti was hired as essentially a recruiting coordinator. McMackin also decided to push for early commitments. In doing so, McMackin and Tuioti set up a schedule in which the coaches would go on recruiting trips during bye weeks, and prospects would be brought in for visits during the fall.

The Warriors are on a two-game road trip to Utah State and New Mexico State. Because there is a bye week following the New Mexico State game, many of the coaches will remain on the Mainland to recruit. This is considered to be an evaluation period, meaning the coaches can speak with high school coaches and counselors, but not have face-to-face contact with recruits. In recent years, the UH coaches did not stay on the Mainland after road games to recruit.”

Happy that the UH coaches will visit his school during the bye week, Long Beach Poly coach Raul Lara said:
“I’m glad they’re coming around again.” (HA)

HA Note: “Poly graduates who went on to play at UH include quarterback Michael Carter, receiver Chris Roscoe, linebacker Mark Odom and offensive guard Hercules Satele.”

About how he recommends UH to some players, Lara said:
“I tell (some players), if I had an offer from Hawai’i, I’d go there.” (HA)

HA Note: “The decision to make early offers has been productive. UH already has secured commitments from 15 prospects. The drawback is that commitments are not binding until put into writing. And that the early interest also draws attention from other schools. Poly linebacker George Daily-Lyles gave a verbal commitment, but now wants to take other recruiting trips. Defensive end Liloa Nobriga of Silverado High (Henderson, Nev.) said he gave a verbal commitment Sunday, the last day of his recruiting trip. Nobriga was raised in Hawai’i, where his mother, girlfriend and best friends live. He also is a self-proclaimed “life-long UH fan.” But after consulting with his father, who lives in Nevada, Nobriga said he will take recruiting trips to Fresno State and Utah. Those close to the situation believe Daily-Lyles and Nobriga still will end up as Warriors.”

About how their early recruiting will have a positive impact, Veikune said:
“It’s been a real drastic change.” (HA)

About how Colorado recruited him, Veikune said:
“Colorado talked to me for two months. I had a relationship with them. … The head coach came down. He flew in all the way from Colorado just to meet me. Plus, the linebacker coach came. It showed they care that much about you.” (HA)

Veikune said that Uh recruiting:
“is definitely a positive now with this new coaching staff.” (HA)

Other quotes from the local papers

Looking forward to their road trip to Utah, Tim Grasso (who grew up in Kaysville, Utah, near where they will be staying this weekend) said:
“This is a game I’ve been looking forward to for two years, ever since I decided to come out here.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “Grasso is heading home coming off one of his best games. The senior averaged a season-high 45.8 yards per punt last week, including a career-best 55-yarder, and killed three inside the Wolf Pack 20-yard line in Hawaii’s 38-31 win over Nevada. Not bad for a former receiver who didn’t focus on punting until his freshman year at Dixie State College of Utah. Grasso was an all-state player at Davis High in Kaysville and did some punting on the side. He got a scholarship to Dixie as a receiver, but when he wasn’t getting much playing time, he shifted his focus to punting rather than catching.”

About focusing on being a punter at his JC, Grasso said:
“They needed a punter, so I worked on it and worked on it and I realized if I’m going to make it in Division I it’s going to be as a punter.” (HSB)

About JoPierre Davis downing two of his punts inside the Nevada 5 last week, Grasso said:
“I told JP I owe him lunch.” (HSB)

About how they practice “Sky punt” on Thursdays, where he angle kicks towards the corner and the gunners try to keep the ball out of the end zone, Grasso said:
“I just have a good time with it on Thursday and it’s been paying off. It’s personal to me, because I know it’ll help the defense, especially in a tight game.” (HSB)

About why Rausch made the travel roster while Tyler did not, Mac said:
“He’s our third-best quarterback in everything you rate them on.” (HSB)

Feature story on Ryan Mouton

About how they will still use Mouton on offense, Mac said:
“In our Sunday meeting, that was the first thing (offensive coordinator) Ron Lee asked me, if we were going to still play Mouton on offense. He’s a key player on defense — that’s where his future is — but he’s a playmaker. I think he really brought the offense, especially the receivers, to another level.” (HSB)

About playing slotback instead of CB, Mouton said:
“It’s a little difficult. It’s fun, though, doing something new. We’re having a good time with it.” (HSB)

About how he wanted to play offense, but didn’t expect to play it full-time, Mouton said:
“I’ve been asking in earlier weeks when I might get on the other side of the ball. When (head coach Greg McMackin) called me in his office that Monday morning, it was what I was waiting for, telling me I could play a little offense. Didn’t think it would be full-time, though.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “In his first game as a two-way player, Mouton was on the field for 78 snaps last week against Nevada, 58 as a starting slotback and 20 in the secondary as the Warriors’ nickel back.”

About possibly needing a new nickname for Mouton (who wears jersey #2), Mac said:
“We were calling him ‘deuce.’ Now we might call him ‘iron man.’ ” (HSB)

HSB Note: “Still, McMackin would like to keep Mouton’s play total closer to 60 to keep the senior from wearing down in his new roles over the second half of the season.”

About how they need to limit Mouton’s plays since he won’t complain, Mac said:
“He will just keep going … and won’t say a word and will compete until he falls over, so we as coaches have to monitor that.” (HSB)

Mac said they had planned to just play Mouton on offense in a limited basis to spark the offense:
“but we felt we needed another playmaker full-time.” (HSB)

About how Mouton does what is best for the team, Mac said:
“His future is as a DB and he’s got a great future. But he’s a team guy and he didn’t even hesitate when I talked to him about moving over to offense and what we were planning.” (HSB)

About how his teammates on the D have reacted to his moving to the offense, Mouton said:
“I hear it every day. I’m surrounded by defensive guys in the locker room. They always tell me, ‘traitor, traitor.’ They’ll take a shot at me every now and then. But it’s all in good fun.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “Mouton caught five passes for 58 yards in his debut as a slotback and coaches noted more pep in the other receivers following the move. Mike Washington posted his second 100-yard game of the season against Nevada and Malcolm Lane had his most productive game.”

About having Mouton next to him on the offense, Malcolm Lane said:
“That’s a blast. He brought that fire to the offense, and with his speed he opens up a lot of things in our offense.” (HSB)

About playing receiver, Mouton said:
“Being a defensive player you want to try to get the ball anyway. So when you know some of the plays might come to you and you end up getting the ball, it excites me a lot.” (HSB)

About being their punt returner, Aaron Bain said:
“I like having the pressure on to try to make plays. I like getting the emotions high. If you get a good return it just pumps everybody up.” (HSB)

About how the receivers like Bain have been a big help to him adjusting to slotback, Mouton said:
“I’ll ask them to refresh my memory. Those guys have been a great help to me. Guys like Aaron, his unselfishness, is the best thing for me right now.” (HSB)