By Stephen Tsai

stsai@staradvertiser.com

Offensive tackle Blake Muir has requested — and received — a release from his Hawaii football scholarship.

“The reason is I’m not happy here at the moment,” Muir said. “I felt I wasn’t getting the satisfaction out of playing that I should. I felt I needed to make a change. If I was going to do that, it had to be now.”

Muir, who was born and raised in Australia, was one of two offensive players to start all 12 UH games in 2012. He was the No. 1 left tackle. Freshman center Ben Clarke also started every game.

Muir first enrolled at UH in January 2011. He redshirted that year and competed as a second-year freshman in 2012.

Muir recently underwent shoulder surgery and was not expected to compete in spring training. He was projected to move to left guard.

David Griffin, a transfer from Mesa Community College, is expected to be the No. 1 left tackle in spring training. Griffin begins classes at UH this morning.

Kahuku High’s John Wa‘a, who will sign a letter of intent with UH on Feb. 6, is projected to compete at left tackle in training camp in August.

Chauncy Winchester-Makainai, Ben Dew, Mike Milovale, Kody Afusia and Kiha Sai will compete at left guard in spring training.

Muir said there was “nothing in particular” that prompted his move.

“Just being here, I guess, was weighing me down,” Muir said. “I felt to get better, I had to move on. … It’s mainly to be happy. It doesn’t really matter where I end up as long as I’m happy and enjoying myself.”