The pandemic may have shut down sports but it could not stop recruiting.
Athletes in many sports have been courted by college recruiters despite the limitations caused by COVID-19 and its variant. The internet has been a major tool for island prospects. Though county gyms are still locked down, fields have been the domain of active athletes who never stopped training. Private facilities also offer a safe haven.
While much of the world endured restrictions, Tausili Akana did what many Hawaii athletes are doing and what he’s always done — take action.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior from Hauula has been busy with camps, combines and a summer barnstorming tour that took him to more than a dozen elite Division I football programs from coast to coast. The latest additions to his list of scholarship offers are Georgia, Tennessee and Auburn.
That’s seven offers in all from the heralded SEC.
“Yes, every SEC offer is crazy. That conference is so competitive and strong. There is a lot of history and great players that come from the SEC conference,” he said. “Sitting in the head coaches’ offices and talking with them face to face is something special. I always ask to take a picture with the head coaches.”
Rerouting to the mainland was a way of life for some island student-athletes in 2020. With no offers on the table after junior year, Jarinn Kalama transferred with cousin Akana to Wasatch. With a strong performance and a 3.3 grade-point average, the 6-3, 205-pound wide receiver committed to BYU in March.
Campbell quarterback Blaine Hipa missed his junior year as a Saber because of the pandemic, but departed for Chandler (Ariz.) during the summer and has become the starting quarterback. Kaimuki quarterback Jayden Maiava, who grew up in Palolo, is now at Liberty (Las Vegas), where his family resides.
The portal is busy with transplants to the continent. At last count, Konawaena has lost five football players — four of them two-way starters.
Former Maryknoll standout Sage Tolentino departed after his surge as a sophomore. Training year-round in Ohio and other locales, he committed to Auburn in late 2020. He decommitted from Auburn in June and committed to Cincinnati in July.
The smooth-shooting 7-footer had planned to return to Maryknoll for junior year, but the cancellation of winter sports ended that dream. He played at Hamilton, a school in his current district, and is now a senior.
“It was tough leaving Maryknoll, but they will always have a special place in my heart. And making history, going back-to-back state championships was just amazing,” Tolentino said.
Kamehameha’s 6-2 outside hitter, Devin Kahahawai, has entertained a good amount of offers. So have a number of top girls volleyball players. Kahahawai is representing the USA as a member of the U18 Junior National Team when it plays in the World Championships in Mexico next month.
Other highly coveted prospects have opted to wait out the process. Last Wednesday, the state Department of Education issued a vaccination mandate for athletes, athletic staff and volunteers and postponed fall sports until Sept. 24.
“I am not going anywhere. We made a decision as a team to stay at Kahuku in hopes for our season to not get canceled,” Kahuku linebacker Liona Lefau said. “My message to my teammates is to stay positive and use this time to work on themselves in the weight room and also on the field. Don’t lose hope!”
Mililani wide receiver Gavin Hunter has a similar sentiment.
“I haven’t considered transferring anywhere because we still got something to prove at Mililani. My loyalty is to my coaches and teammates,” he said.
For Akana, the long trail of 33 offers began when he was still an eighth-grader. Utah, BYU and Hawaii were the first three programs to open doors.
He also made the detours deemed necessary to get on the playing field. After playing at Kamehameha as a freshman, he landed an offer from Arizona State in mid-summer of 2020.
With Hawaii in postponement mode, then outright cancellation of fall sports, the outside linebacker transferred to Wasatch, located in Heber City, Utah. Akana stayed with relatives and had a standout sophomore season that sparked a wildfire of offers. UNLV, Oregon State, Utah State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State joined the party during the fall of ’20.
Akana returned to Hauula for the spring semester at Kahuku, using the distance-learning format to his advantage. He netted offers from Oregon and Washington State in December.
By March, the tsunami was in effect. Akana’s performances were outstanding at camps and combines near and far, translating into offers from Ole Miss, Colorado, USC in March; Washington, LSU and Wisconsin in April; Arizona, Cal and Mississippi State in May.
Then came the unprecedented barnstorming tour in June, making unofficial visits — 13 — in a span of 25 days. That included a cancellation of Notre Dame in favor of Clemson. By June 12, Akana added offers from Texas, TCU, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Michigan, Pitt, San Diego State and Virginia. Several of the visits were to schools that had already made offers, including Nebraska, where sister Keonilei Akana plays volleyball.
Then came the run of additional brand-name entities in July: Oklahoma, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee and Auburn.
Hopes for Akana to play at Kahuku were modified when he enrolled at Skyridge (Utah) after the spring semester. It was primarily an insurance move in case fall sports in the islands were canceled or postponed again.
A move back to Hawaii from Utah, Akana said, has been easier than transferring to the mainland at the last minute.
So Akana is suiting up for Skyridge while Hawaii endures higher case numbers of COVID-19, and fall sports sees a postponement. All Student-athletes will have to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 24 in order to play. Utah and the rest of the country are proceeding with fall sports.
“I’m speechless. I can’t believe what is going on back home. I have many friends back home and feel so bad for them. Hopefully, they figure it out and allow high school sports to continue and have a full season,” Akana said.
Akana and his parents have been proactive about the recruiting process despite the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brandyn Akana, a former college basketball assistant coach and current Kahuku basketball coach, knows the terrain well. Joselyn (Robins) Akana was a standout for the UH Wahine volleyball team. Making connections with coaches, posting information and videos to social media, becoming physically present for recruiters around the country add up to success. The equation is largely Akana’s athleticism and maturity, with a substantial dose of communication and marketing mastery.
“I am fortunate to have parents that understand the recruiting process,” Tausili Akana said. “My dad always says, ‘If you want something, you need to go and get it.’ It’s been a crazy but memorable summer for me. I wish all student-athletes can experience what I experienced. This recruiting process is just the beginning for me. There is still a lot that I need to do.”
TAUSILI AKANA’S JUNE BARNSTORMING TOUR
Unofficial visits by Akana in June
Tuesday, June 1: Hawaii
Thursday, June 3: Texas
Friday, June 4: TCU
Saturday, June 5: Texas A&M
Sunday, June 6: LSU
Tuesday, June 8: Ohio State
Wednesday, June 9: Michigan
Thursday, June 10: Notre Dame Clemson
Friday, June 11: Wisconsin
Saturday-Tuesday, June 12-15: Nebraska
Wednesday, June 16: BYU
Thursday, June 17: Utah
Friday, June 25: Oregon
Saturday, June 26: Washington
