It is fitting that Saturday’s football meeting between Hawaii and UNLV has been designated as a homecoming game at Sam Boyd Stadium.

UH defensive end Jonah Laulu, linebacker Jeremiah Pritchard, and safeties Ikem Okeke and Kalen Hicks are graduates of Las Vegas high schools.

“It’s going to be nice,” Laulu said. “I’m going to have a lot of family there.”

As a Centennial High senior in 2017, Laulu made an oral commitment to UNLV. He changed his mind two weeks later.

>> Photo Gallery: University of Hawaii football practice, Nov. 13

“It didn’t feel right,” Laulu said. “The vibe there is different. I’d rather come here. I’m glad I came here.”

Pritchard, who attended Silverado High, received an offer from UNLV during his junior season. Soon after, Pritchard said, “their coaching staff got fired. And then they left, and that’s a whole other story.”

Pritchard had received interest from UH when Norm Chow was the head coach. After Chow was fired, his successor, Nick Rolovich, secured the commitment from Pritchard.

As Bishop Gorman juniors, Hicks and Okeke played under Tony Sanchez, now in his fifth season as UNLV’s head coach. Hicks was hopeful of a big senior year at Gorman when he suffered a torn ACL in the week leading to the season opener. The offers evaporated, and Hicks joined the Rainbow Warriors as a walk-on in 2016. Four seasons later, Hicks is UH’s third-leading tackler despite missing the past three games because of an ailment.

Okeke fielded numerous interest before accepting a scholarship from the Warriors in 2016. “I’m happy with my decision, and it’s been a good four years for me,” Okeke said.

Each welcomes a return to the Ninth Island.

“All my family is in Vegas,” Pritchard said. “This is a pretty special game for me. They’ve seen one game this year (in Reno).”

Pritchard, who was born in American Samoa, moved to Hawaii before the start of his sophomore season at Farrington High. “All I knew growing up was Samoa,” Pritchard said. “It was a big change for me.”

A year later, he was on the move again, relocating to Las Vegas.

“The living situation was too expensive for us (in Hawaii),” Pritchard said. “Vegas was the best choice for us.”

Pritchard, a fourth-year junior, has made himself at home in Hawaii again. “I love football,” Pritchard said. “It’s my go-to. It’s like my therapy of the day. I get my two, three hours of football, and then I go back to school.”

Okeke is juggling a hectic schedule. He is taking seven classes this semester in hopes of earning a degree in finance in December. “I try to focus on what I’m doing in that moment,” Okeke said of his time management.

While he misses his friends and family in Las Vegas, Okeke does not have fond thoughts of the desert’s SPF 50 summers.

“My freshman year of high school, they had us practice on the turf in 120-degree weather at 12 o’clock in the afternoon,” Okeke said. “Twelve to 2 every day. After that, you get used to it pretty fast. After your cleats melt on you a couple times, the heat doesn’t bother you too much.”

While growing up in Vegas, Laulu attended the UH-UNLV games. “That’s when (the Warriors) used to do the haka,” Laulu said. “That was pretty cool.”

He also marveled at the support the Warriors received.

“There are more Hawaii fans than UNLV fans at those games,” said Laulu, noting Saturday’s game “is going to feel like we’re at home. The Ninth Island.”