In the past two years, Hawaii has created a recruiting buzz in the Beehive State. 

Utah has emerged as one of the Rainbow Warriors’ recruiting bases. 

Two Utahns — wide receiver Marcus Kemp and tight end Harold Moleni — will be on the traveling roster for Saturday’s road game against Utah State. 

Linebacker Drake Miller, receiver Ammon Barker, offensive lineman Elijah Tupai and running back Max Broman are Utah-raised players who are redshirting this season. Running back John Ursua and offensive lineman Gus Lavaka are on church missions and will join the Warriors in 2015. 

“I think they play good football in Utah,” said UH coach Norm Chow, who is a University of Utah graduate who coached at Brigham Young and Utah. “We have some recruiting ties there. There are a lot of Polynesians there. It’s amazing we do so well there.”

According to a survey, Utah is ranked 21st among the states in producing FBS players. Utah is ahead of Washington, Mississippi, Colorado, New York, Arkansas and Hawaii. 

Utah is third, behind Florida and Georgia, in the percentage of 2013 high school graduates who are on FBS rosters this fall. 

“For that sparsely populated state, there are six universities in that state (with Division I football teams),” Chow said. “We’ve been able to pull some pretty good players from there.”

Defensive line coach Lewis Powell, a Utah alumnus, is UH’s point recruiter in Utah. Quarterbacks coach Jordan Wynn and receivers coach Luke Matthews played for the Utes in 2012. Their Utah teammate, receiver Quinton Pedroza, transferred to UH this summer and is redshirting. 

“We try to recruit the whole country,” Chow said. “We try to find guys who have an interest in the University of Hawaii.”

Kemp and Moleni said they look forward to this week’s homecoming. 

“I’ve been thinking about this week and this game since I committed (to UH in February),” Kemp said. 

Moleni said his parents, his nine siblings and their children, will attend this week’s game. 

WOOSLEY GETS QB REPS
Chow had said the quarterback competition was down to Sean Schroeder, who has thrown for at least 320 yards in four consecutive games, and Taylor Graham, who started the first three games before suffering an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder. 

But after both struggled, Ikaika Woolsey was summoned to lead the remainder of Tuesday’s practice. 

“I was disappointed in the leadership of the other two,” Chow said. “I needed to make a point, I guess. Those two can’t take anything for granted. If I have to play Ikaika, I will.”

Chow said he will decide on a starting quarterback later this week. 

ANGUAY IS COMBO PLAYER
After moving between receiver and running back, Samson Anguay is now a combination of the two. 

“I’m playing both now,” said Anguay, who practiced at running back on Tuesday.