Walk-on Tryouts

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kapakahi
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Walk-on Tryouts

Post by kapakahi »

https://twitter.com/UH_FBRecruits/status/1602423050259005444

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uhwarriors
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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

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Running the walk-on tryouts much earlier next year than previously because spring practice will start earlier.

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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

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These are the pure walk-on candidates (versus preferred walk-on). Gotta really love the game!
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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

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Out of these tryouts maybe 1 or 2 make may make the team but I can't recall anyone recently with no prior college experience who actually got playing time.

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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

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BigWave96744 wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:40 am Out of these tryouts maybe 1 or 2 make may make the team but I can't recall anyone recently with no prior college experience who actually got playing time.
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DL Makai Manuwai participated in the February 2017 walk-on tryouts in the Spring semester of his freshman year straight out of HS and eventually became a regular in the DL rotation for the 2018 & 2019 seasons.

https://hawaiiathletics.com/sports/foot ... uwai/18753
https://www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com/warr ... alk-ons-2/
https://www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com/warr ... n-tryouts/
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/09/ ... lse-start/
Hawaii defensive lineman Makai Manuwai had school to fall back on when his football career suffered a false start
By Stephen Tsai Sept. 4, 2019

At the end of his junior year at South Medford (Ore.) High, he received Ivy-adorned interest from Brown, Dartmouth and Harvard.

In 2016, he graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

But the football opportunities began to evaporate when he suffered an injury to his left ankle while training in the summer leading to his senior year. He said surgery was required to repair the cartilage damage. As a result, his senior season was abbreviated to three games.

He then decided to enroll at UH as a regular student for the 2016 fall semester. At the time, he had several relatives in Hawaii, including his first cousin, Vince Manuwai, a former UH and NFL offensive lineman.

That semester he came in contact with Legi Suiaunoa, who had been hired to coach the Rainbow Warriors’ defensive linemen. Manuwai was among 22 UH students to participate in the walk-on tryouts in February 2017.

Manuwai, who played tight end and defensive end at South Bedford, aced the audition and “they let me on the team.” A week later, Suiaunoa was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Manuwai was a member of the scout team in 2017. Suiaunoa departed after that season, joining Oregon State as a defensive line coach.

In UH’s new 4-2-5 scheme in 2018, Manuwai expanded his role, playing in seven games. He also received All-Mountain West academic honors.

“He’s good for our team,” said Ricky Logo, who coaches the defensive linemen. “Reliable, accountable, a guy that I trust. He’s a guy whose teammates trust him. He’s my wild-card guy who I can move on the defensive front. He’s accepted that role.”

Manuwai can play the 3 technique (opposite the gap between the offensive guard and tackle) and strong-side end known as the “bandit.” In one of the sub-packages, Manuwai aligns at nose tackle.

“He works hard,” head coach Nick Rolovich said of Manuwai. “He does whatever we ask him to do. He has a little bit of a (former Warrior) Zeno Choi role where he can do a bunch of things for us because he’s smart and cares a lot. It’s important to him.”

Logo said Manuwai is a quick study. “He can mentally execute the assignment,” Logo said. “It takes once or twice, and he’s got it.”

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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

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BigWave96744 wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:40 am Out of these tryouts maybe 1 or 2 make may make the team but I can't recall anyone recently with no prior college experience who actually got playing time.
I know this is not correct anymore as my recollection is from the 1990s. I thought UH don't cut players, even walk-ons. So everyone get chance.

Renford Frais. I know I spell his name wrong now. He was my classmate in PE during HS. Hekoti Fakava urge him to walk-on. He walked on. 5' 6" 150lbs. Scored 3-4 TDs career. Wanger let him play because he get "no chance" really cause just too small. But the fact that he showed up to all practices, meetings, do well in school, etc. Wags put him in for those goal line freebies. One play the OL (Refrigerator Mark Nua) actually toss him into the endzone.

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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

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cabanalane wrote: Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:04 am
BigWave96744 wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:40 am Out of these tryouts maybe 1 or 2 make may make the team but I can't recall anyone recently with no prior college experience who actually got playing time.
I know this is not correct anymore as my recollection is from the 1990s. I thought UH don't cut players, even walk-ons. So everyone get chance.

Renford Frais. I know I spell his name wrong now. He was my classmate in PE during HS. Hekoti Fakava urge him to walk-on. He walked on. 5' 6" 150lbs. Scored 3-4 TDs career. Wanger let him play because he get "no chance" really cause just too small. But the fact that he showed up to all practices, meetings, do well in school, etc. Wags put him in for those goal line freebies. One play the OL (Refrigerator Mark Nua) actually toss him into the endzone.
I would think that there is some sort of roster size limit, based on the number of player's lockers available.
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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

Post by cabanalane »

Correct. Especially with transfer portal. Yes, guys get hurt, red shirt, etc. Keeping the roster in check can allow more guys to play. Some guys play different positions in HS vs college. I kind of like to see some guys play on both sides of the ball. They got the talent.

Classic defensive players, such as Al Noga, Mark Nua, and Mark Odom played on offense in the Power I. Get out of the way or you are going to get hurt.

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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

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https://twitter.com/UH_FBRecruits/status/1612266498462212098

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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

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Wonder how it went

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Re: 2023 Walk-on Tryouts

Post by kapakahi »

https://twitter.com/HawaiiFootball/status/1684675731031535622 https://twitter.com/UH_FBRecruits/status/1684676420524781568
kapakahi wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 10:31 pm https://www.sportshawaii.com/sh/viewtop ... 3&start=45

Maybe the Spring Ball walk-ons who weren't invited back for Fall Camp might have moved on from their dream to play for UH.....while UH may still need some warm bodies for the Scout Team.
uhwarriors wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 10:18 pm
Pretty curious on why walk-on tryouts are going to be held 4 days before the first game. Lots of walk-ons that made the spring roster are not on the current roster. If we're short on players due to injuries, etc., I wonder why we don't bring those guys back. At least they had spring practice under their belts.
kapakahi wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:13 pm
Fall walk-on tryouts.... Hmmm.... https://twitter.com/UH_FBRecruits/status/1555409834370945024

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