The Hawaii football team is set to add established talent to next year’s offensive line.

Head coach Nick Rolovich confirmed that senior Kohl Levao will redshirt this season, extending his UH career through the 2020 season.

“That’s the plan going forward,” Rolovich said. “Plans can always change if necessity peeks its head out.”

Under a year-old NCAA rule, a Division I football player is eligible to redshirt if he does not play in more than four games in a season. Levao has played in two games this year. He was not part of the travel squad for Saturday’s 45-31 road victory over New Mexico.

Levao, who is 6 feet 6 and 330 pounds, emerged as a team leader after transferring from City College of San Francisco in July 2018.

He started all of the Rainbow Warriors’ games in 2018 — the first 10 at right tackle and the next three at center.

“He was playing at a good level,” offensive line coach Mark Weber said of Levao’s practices this past spring. “He still has a lot to learn because he really didn’t have a spring here the first year (in 2018).”

The past summer, some analysts viewed Levao as the Warriors’ top prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft. He was named to the initial watch list for the Rimington Trophy as college football’s best center.

But Levao suffered an injury on the fourth day of training camp in July. He missed the Warriors’ first five games. With junior Taaga Tuulima established at center, Levao started at right guard when he returned for games against Boise State and Air Force. It was then decided it would be mutually beneficial for Levao to redshirt this season, enabling him to get healthier and have a chance for a full season in 2020.

Solo Vaipulu started at right guard against New Mexico. Vaipulu was one of five true freshmen nationally to start every game on the offensive line in 2018. Vaipulu missed three games this season, but returned for the Air Force game, during which he served as the top backup to Levao. Vaipulu also can play center. The Warriors are 13-7 in games in which Vaipulu starts.

Freshman Bubba Wa‘a started a game at right guard. Three weeks ago, Michael Eletise, who transferred from Arizona in August, was granted a waiver to play this season. Eletise can play offensive tackle and both guard spots. Eletise’s availability “gives us more pieces on the board,” Rolovich said.

Weber noted that left guard J.R. Hensley is the Warriors’ only senior guard with starting experience. “We’ll lose J.R. (after the season),” Weber said, “but we’ll have all the other guys back.”