The state’s top-ranked college football recruit, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, is already attending classes at Alabama, but there still could be plenty of drama when national signing day arrives Wednesday.
More than a third of the Star-Advertiser’s Top 15 college football prospects from this year’s class still were listed as undecided Sunday.
Twenty — or more — players could receive Division I scholarships when everything shakes out, a survey of recruiting services suggests. People who have recruited the state and have provided feedback for the rankings say this year’s class is “a little above average” talent-wise for most years.
| STAR-ADVERTISER TOP COLLEGE PROSPECTS
1. Tua Tagovailoa QB Saint Louis Alabama
2. Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, DE Kapolei (Undecided)
3. Aliki Vimahi DE Kahuku (Undecided)
4. Isaac Slade-Matautia OLB Saint Louis Oregon
5. Morris Unutoa OT Kapaa (Undecided)
6. Miki Suguturaga DE Punahou (Undecided)
7. Michael Minihan OG Saint Louis Georgia Tech
8. Charles Watson S Leilehua Oregon State
9. Kesi Ah-Hoy RB Kahuku (Undecided)
10. Christian Mejia DE Kailua (Undecided)
11. Andrew Aleki OLB Kamehameha San Diego State
12. Kekaula Kaniho CB Kahuku Boise State
13. Adam Stack PK Kamehameha Oregon
14. Onesimus Lutu-Clarke OT Waianae Oregon State
15. Feleti Afemui ILB Maui Vanderbilt
16. Mango Finau OG Baldwin BYU
17. Nakoa Pauole DL Kamehameha (Undecided)
18. Seyddrick Lakalaka ILB Punahou San Diego State
19. Nicholas Kapule QB Punahou (Undecided)
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The abundance has attracted coast-to-coast interest, with nearly 40 of the 128 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams making scholarship offers, according to the Star-Advertiser’s hawaiiprepworld.com recruiting page.
Wednesday is the first day that high school recruits may sign binding letters with schools. The signing period extends through April 1, though most schools will bag their limit quickly.
Historically, most of Hawaii’s top prospects have made their decisions in advance of the opening day of the signing period. But recent years usually have had at least one player spring a surprise on signing day.
Last year, for example, Mililani’s Vavae Malepeai, the state’s most productive running back, picked up a cardinal and gold USC cap instead of the widely expected Oregon green in ceremonies at the Sheraton Waikiki.
Two years ago it was Punahou offensive lineman Semisi Uluave who kept several schools guessing until he made California the surprise winner, donning a Bears cap and following up with his signature.
As UH coach Nick Rolovich put it last year, “As a fundraiser I think we should sell tickets to the last two weeks of recruiting because the ups and downs and the turns, it’s better than any roller coaster you can imagine.”
This year the early focus was on Tagovailoa, who led Saint Louis to the State Division I championship and was the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the country by ESPN.com. But his May commitment to Alabama didn’t waver and he began classes in Tuscaloosa this month.
Saint Louis linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia, ranked a four (out of five) star prospect by Scout.com, committed to Oregon last week and teammate Michael Minihan, an offensive lineman, committed to Georgia Tech, but plenty of talent remains up for grabs.
