Hawaii Football: 2014 Recruiting Class Starts with Defense and Quarterback
A dismal first year for head coach Norm Chow ended on an up-tick as the Warriors finished with two strong wins, leaving fans and alumni eager for the start of the 2013 campaign. With a multitude of offseason changes, Hawaii has been actively recruiting on the mainland as well as within the state of Hawaii.
Defense was a problem area in 2012 (ranked 107th in points-against), as was the stagnant offense (No. 101 in passing and No. 114 in rushing). Not unexpectedly, defense and quarterback were the first areas addressed by Norm Chow's 2014 recruiting class, with verbal commitments from four prospects:
Larry Tuileta - QB - The 6'2", 210-pound native of Honolulu is the most recent prospect to give his commitment (April 12, 2013). In 2012, Tuileta's arm helped take his team to the state final, with a season that saw him throw for 2,588 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was also named the Hawaii's 2012 Gatorade State Player of the Year.ย
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Daniel Lewis - CB - At 5'11" and 194 pounds, the Louisiana prospect has good size at the cornerback position. Lewis also posted a 4.40 time in the 40-yard dash and is rated as a 3-star prospect by Scout.com.
Manly Williams - OLB - A 3-star prospect (per Scout.com), Williams is another product of Hawaii. At 6'2" and 225 pounds, Williams is likely too small to be converted to defensive end. Williams was the second player in the 2014 class to commit to the Warriors.
Fitou Fisiiahi - MLB - A versatile athlete, the 6'2", 240-pound Fisiiahi plays middle linebacker as well as fullback. Another Hawaii native, Fisiiahi was pursued by both Oregon State and Utah but snapped up an early offer from the Warriors in October of 2012.
Currently, Hawaii's 2014 recruiting class ranks at No. 61 according to Scout.com but is second-best in the Mountain West Conference (behind Boise State). Although it is early in the 2014 recruiting hunt, the newest crop of prospects is already out-distancing 2013's group, which ranked No. 80 according to Scout.com.
