Defensive end Iuta Tepa, who played the past three seasons at UCLA, will join the Hawaii football team.

Tepa has received his scholarship release. He will have to sit out a year per NCAA transfer rules and also will petition the NCAA for another year of eligibility because of an injury in 2010.

He said he will arrive in Honolulu today.

"I thought it was a better opportunity for me in (Hawaii)," Tepa said.

Tepa is a 2009 graduate of Long Beach Poly. As a senior, he was named to the MaxPreps All-America team.

Scout.com listed Tepa as the No. 3 defensive end in California, No. 5 on the West Coast and No. 40 nationally.

The selected Tepa as the 2008 Lineman of the Year.

Tepa made an oral commitment to the Warriors in October 2008. Instead, he signed with UCLA in February 2009. At the time, UH head coach Norm Chow was the Bruins’ offensive coordinator.

Tepa played five games as a freshman in 2009. In 2010, he played in three games before suffering a season-ending injury to a pectoral muscle. He was granted a medical redshirt for that year, according to the UCLA media guide.

He played in all 13 of the Bruins’ games in 2011, but Tepa admitted: "Things weren’t working out where I was at. I thought it was a good opportunity to go to Hawaii."

Tepa will be reunited with UH linebacker George Daily-Lyles. They were teammates at Long Beach Poly.

"I’ve known George for a long time," Tepa said. "It’s good that I know somebody from there. It makes it more comfortable for me to go there."

Tepa also said he has several relatives living in Hawaii.

Tepa is 6 feet 2 3⁄4 and 255 pounds. He played defensive end for the Bruins but hopes to compete at linebacker for the Warriors.

"I’d like to try that out," Tepa said.

The Warriors are using a double-eagle defense in which linebackers often align on the line of scrimmage as pass-rushers.