Additions of Hill, Ekuale bolster Warriors’ defense

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for the Hawaii football team.

Two highly regarded defensive players told the Star-Advertiser they will accept football scholarships from the Warriors.

Tigi Hill, a Kahuku High graduate who attended Mesa (Ariz.) College the past two seasons, and Daniel Ekuale of Vocational Technical School in America Samoa, made their decisions while visiting Hawaii over the weekend.

Hill is 6 feet 3 and 225 pounds, and projects to compete at safety for the Warriors. He received scholarship offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Ekuale is a 2012 Vo-Tech graduate. He spent the fall semester in Seattle, where he worked on meeting the requirements to play as an NCAA freshman. Ekuale is 6-5, 295 pounds and projects as a defensive tackle. He is expected to enroll at UH in January.

Ekuale visited Oregon and Oregon State a week ago. He received scholarship offers from UCLA and Washington.

They bring to 12 the number of oral commitments from defensive players during this recruiting drive. The Warriors already secured commitments from two of the state’s top defensive players — tackle Kennedy Tulimasealii of Waianae High and linebacker/rush end Ualesi "Wesley" Sale of Aiea High.

Two highly sought defensive tackles — Charles Tua‘au and David Moala — remain committed to the Warriors. Tua‘au is a Leilehua High graduate who is attending Riverside (Calif.) Community College. Moala is a former Arizona State lineman who is attending Cerritos (Calif.) College this semester. Defensive end Iuta Tepa transferred from UCLA in September.

Hill made his pledge to the Warriors during a Sunday breakfast with his mother and head coach Norm Chow. During the meal, Hill said, "four or five schools called me. But my heart is set on home."

He actually signed a letter of intent with the Warriors in February 2011, but he did not meet the requirements to play as a UH freshman.

Instead, Hill attended Mesa, where he played as a freshman. He opted to redshirt in 2012, a strategy that essentially froze his eligibility clock. Hill will have three years to play three UH seasons.

"Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to come home," Hill said. "I thought long and hard about it. I prayed about it. Everything pointed to home. I looked at the (UH) coaching staff and what they’re trying to do. It just seemed right. Coach Chow is a good man. I’m relieved it’s all over. I have to let the other coaches know I’m committed to UH."

Hill said he expects to first compete at safety.

"We’ll see where we go from there," he said.

Hill said he was named after his grandfather, who was named after a pastor. The family used the Samoa spelling of the name.

Ekuale said his last name often is spelled as "Eutale." He hopes to make a name for himself at a UH position that was decimated by injuries this season.

Ekuale said he felt comfortable with the program and the UH coaching staff, particularly Chow and linebackers coach Tony Tuioti. Tuioti has served as point recruiter for more than a year.

"Things are going to be changing at UH," Ekuale said. "The best place for me is UH."

Ekuale acknowledged that several schools have made late recruiting pushes.

"The other schools were trying to catch up," Ekuale said. "It’s already late. Everybody at UH has been good to me. UH is the best fit."