‘Iolani senior Keoni-Kordell Makekau currently holds three Division I offers but is waiting to hopefully have more options before making his college choice.
The 5-foot-10, 168-pound wide receiver, whose offer list consists of Navy, Washington State and Hawaii, took an official visit to Navy two weekends ago and found the school similar to his current high school.
He attended the Midshipmen’s 55-14 win over SMU and somehow stayed warm despite taking only shorts with him on the trip. The temperature during that weekend hovered in the mid-40s, he said.
“Yeah, I got some pants and stuff pretty quick,” Makekau said Wednesday. “It was awesome. I went up there and it felt like I was at ‘Iolani because a lot of (the football players) weren’t really big, but they were fit and just played fast and smart like ‘Iolani.”
Makekau, who joined an exclusive club on Monday notching his third first-team All-ILH honor, ended his high school career catching 11 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in a 39-24 loss to Kamehameha in mid-October. The Raiders made the jump to Division I for the first time since the D-I/D-II split and went winless in league play, but Makekau managed to finish second in receiving yards in ILH games, catching 42 passes for 555 yards and five touchdowns in five games.
He finished his career sixth on the state’s all-time receiving list with 2,457 yards on 167 receptions and 22 touchdowns. He also holds the ‘Iolani single-game receiving mark with 220 yards in a win over Pac-Five as a sophomore.
Makekau expects to make his college decision in late January when things settle down. He hasn’t heard from UH wide receivers coach Luke Matthews since Norm Chow was fired and is waiting to see how that situation shakes out.
“It’s kind of an iffy situation,” Makekau said of UH.
The other two schools are quite a contrast. Washington State under head coach Mike Leach is a wide-open, passing attack that throws the ball 50-plus times a game. Navy might throw the ball five times in a game but head coach Kenny Niumatalolo and his staff showed Makekau exactly what they project him as in their option rushing attack.
“They showed me playing what would be the option man, or the pitch man, and I could see myself playing in that (system),” Makekau said. “I don’t think I’m only a passing kind of guy. I can be kind of a running back too.”
Makekau said he has been clocked as fast as 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash at a PIAA combine over the summer.
He plans to take a trip to Washington State in the middle of January and is searching for more offers along the way.
“I’ve gotten some interest from some East Coast schools after I got back from the Navy trip,” Makekau said. “I’ve gotten some interest from UNLV as well and I’m hoping to maybe get a few more offers.”
Makekau said he had no preference among the three schools that have offered.
Signing day is Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.
Keep track of all players from Hawaii getting recruited on our Football Recruiting Page that is updated routinely.
Iolani claims they don’t recruit football players. How can this guy Keoni-Kordell Makekau NOT be a recruit? St Louis is always looking for receivers for their offense. So I am suppossed to believe his family paid the $20,000 a year for Keoni-Kordell Makekau to attned Iolani while turning down an offer to attend St Louis for free?
Keoni has 3 offers, thats 3 more offers than most kids in the state and he’s looking for more. Be thankful for what you have. I wish him the best, he’s a good player.
@Ghandi
You don’t have to believe anything. Obviously, you are one of those anti-ILH bandwagoneers who think they are experts on the private schools. You don’t know the family’s situation on way those to send Makekau to Iolani. Just be happy for the kid, geeze!
Correction on above post : “…on why they chose to send…”
Aside from this family and friends, who cares. 2 star recruit?
Wow, pretty harsh on the guy, eh? I’d love to see him at UH but if he likes the discipline, Navy is an awesome opportunity. I have several friends who went there and I competed there in another sport. Its definitely a different world on the east coast and at a service academy. Beats the heck out of Pullman, Washington.
Just wanted to say, can we be happy for all players that do well? Everyone has an opinion and you are welcome to it. Ige, sorry you feel that way, but if I call you a name I would be doing what you are. No his education wasn’t free. And Iolani doesn’t recruit. I am happy for all the players and families because they work hard.
so did he make a committment or less tha a week before signing day is he still waiting for more offers?