In a youth football league for 13-year-olds, Solo Vaipulu was one of the top players.
At the time, he was 10.
During Hawaii’s 2018 football season, Vaipulu often was one of the best offensive lineman on the field.
At the time, he was one of four true freshman nationally to start every game on the O-line.
If football were performance art, he would be a Solo virtuoso.
“He’s a great O-lineman and a great player,” quarterback Cole McDonald said of one of his top blockers.
Last season, Vaipulu opened every game at right guard. In 14 games and more than 950 plays, including 545 pass attempts, Vaipulu was never assessed a holding penalty.
“He has a really good football IQ,” said head coach Nick Rolovich, noting Vaipulu can play all three interior spots, including center.
Offensive coordinator Brian Smith first noticed Vaipulu in 2016, the second semester of his sophomore year, during Centennial High’s spring showcase in Corona, Calif.
“He really stood out as being athletic and competitive tough,” Smith said. “And he kept just showing that.”
At 6 feet 2, Vaipulu is not the prototypical tall offensive lineman. But Rolovich said UH’s four-wide offense is “not a height-based deal. It’s an athleticism- and football-smart deal. Those are the two qualities that stood out about Solo throughout the recruiting process.”
Vaipulu signed with UH on Feb. 7, 2018. Of his first training camp, Vaipulu said, “I was going to come out and try to get better.”
Soon it was apparent, even at two months after his Centennial High graduation, Vaipulu was ready to challenge for a starting job.
“He really came in with a mind-set of good football knowledge,” Rolovich said. “He was well coached in high school. He had a desire to get in here and play. And he was able to do that. Some of those inherent qualities that make good players, he has.”
Offensive line coach Mark Weber noted playing tine is based on talent, hard work and accountability, and not class standing. Left guard J.R. Hensley said respect is earned “if you’re in the front line every day working your tail off. … He’s shown time and time again he can handle his business. People look to him to lead as well.”
Smith said Vaipulu was “physically ready to play right away. But that’s part of coming up in a really good (high school) program. I think they coach those guys really well. They push them hard. They’re competitive. Kids with that right mentality from good programs have opportunities to play faster. That was him.”
Vaipulu credited his father for introducing him to the sport. “It just became a part of my life,” Vaipulu said. “At first, I used (football) as something to release emotions and stuff. I started to fall in love with the grind.”
No. Interior lineman Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
72 Kohl Levao 6-6 340 Sr. Aberdeen, Wash.
57 J.R. Hensley 6-5 320 Sr. Edmond, Okla.
52 Solo Vaipulu 6-2 300 So. Riverside, Calif.
55 Micah Vanterpool 6-6 315 So. Phoenix, Ariz.
63 Taaga Tuulima 6-2 310 Jr. Ewa Beach
76 Michael Eletise 6-4 325 Jr. Honolulu
77 Alesana Sunia 6-3 320 Jr. Leone, American Samoa
61 Eliki Tanuvasa 6-2 320 So. Honolulu
No. Offensive tackle Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
75 Ilm Manning 6-4 280 So. Glendale, Ariz.
74 Gene Pryor 6-3 305 Jr. Visalia, Calif.
78 Ernest Moore 6-8 300 Jr. San Francisco
58 Joey Nu‘uanu-Kuhi‘iki 6-3 290 Jr. Waianae
Quote:
“We want (linemen) to be athletes and smart with a little bit of character to them. They are athletic, they have a lot of character, and they’re smart guys,” offensive line coach Mark Weber, on his group checking off the wish-list boxes.
SCOUTING REPORT
The Warriors return their top eight blockers from a unit that was penalized for holding only five times. Their first holding infraction came in the fourth game on the 237th play of the season. LT Ilm Manning and RG Solo Vaipulu started all 14 games as true freshmen. This preseason, Vaipulu also has cross-trained at center in place of Kohl Levao, who missed most of camp because of an injury. Levao, who moved from RT for the final three games last year, has solidified the interior blocking. He is regarded as the Warriors’ top draft prospect. Gene Pryor has received most of the preseason reps at RT. LG J.R. Hensley is set to begin his senior season as a third-year starter. There are a lot of options, with Micah Vanterpool, a career tackle, now available to play guard. Taaga Tuulima also can swing between guard and center.
