Texas lineman, Nate Adams commits to University of Hawaii football

The most recent University of Hawaii football commitment has embraced a weight-and-see approach.

“Being in the weight room and studying film are some of my favorite things to do,” said Nate Adams, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive lineman from Flower Mound High in Texas. “The weight room is somewhere you can drop everything you have outside and push yourself. It’s a constant place of improvement. As for film, watching (opponents’ game) film and being able to dissect their movements and patterns, it’s really intriguing to me. There’s always going to be a little thing that they do the same — a little foot out of place, a little too much lean on their hands — that gives you the opportunity, as an offensive lineman, to get the upper hand.”

Adams will make his UH pledge official on Feb. 3, the first day of the NCAA signing period for the spring semester. He projects to compete at center or guard.

Zacchaeus McKinney, who was at Oklahoma the past three years, transferred to UH as a graduate student and will participate in the Rainbow Warriors’ offseason workouts. Today is the first day of UH’s spring semester. Quarterback Brayden Schager of Highland Park High (Dallas) and running back Da’Qualen “DQ” James of Lancaster (Texas) High made oral commitments last year and also will sign on Feb. 3.

Adams’ all-in focus has been embodied from taking up the sport at age 8 to his selfless diligence as an offensive lineman to a lush beard he has not fully shaved for more than a year. He also has shown a resilient side, noting his early football experience provided motivation.

“All I remember was getting hit and knocked down,” Adams said of his football introduction. “It was the worst thing I ever experienced. But spring ball came around, and it was like, ‘Nate, you wanna play again?’ I said, ‘yeah,’ that was how I felt.”

His father was his coach — and motivator. “Having someone to push me really got me into it,” Adams said. “When middle school came around, I was excited with my friends. I think it never really died out, that passion, just to be out there with your teammates and your friends and just being able to work.”

It was his father who also taught him to embrace the unheralded life of an offensive lineman. “Just remember,” the elder Adams said, “’That what you’re doing helps the team win. They can’t win without you.’ I think I would use that to really drive myself.”

Adams’ older brother also encouraged strength and speed training. “I’ve always been a bigger kid,” Adams said. “Really putting on weight happened about a year and a half ago, two years ago. I finally said, ‘I’m an offensive lineman. I don’t need to look good. I look my own type of good.’ From then on, I focused on getting bigger, getting better, instead of trying to look good and maybe not being at my best.”

Adams had the right look to football evaluators. He was named to the 6-6A first team as a center in 2019 and 2020. Several schools pursued Adams. Offensive coordinator G.J. Kinne and offensive line coach Sam Bennett were UH’s point recruiters.

“Those guys are great,” Adams said. “They definitely stood out to me. They made my decision a lot easier.”

The deciding factor? “It was mostly the relationships I built with the (UH) coaches and seeing how much of a family that program is,” Adams said. “That’s something that’s really important to me — having a brotherhood and people you can depend on. That was one of the biggest things that really made me believe in that program and the coaches. Every time I talked to coach Bennett, he would reinforce that in my mind. I really appreciated him and coach (Todd) Graham in the whole process. Those guys — and definitely the whole brotherhood and family of the program — really got me excited about it.”