Kahuku football recruits enjoy the process

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Three Kahuku seniors are being recruited by Division I FBS colleges, and it’s no surprise that all of them are on the defensive side of the ball.

All three talked a bit about their recruiting experiences after practice Wednesday.

Kesi Ah-Hoy, the running back turned quarterback turned safety, has four offers — BYU, Army, Oregon State and Hawaii.

“In the summer I got two offers — from Oregon State and Hawaii,” Ah-Hoy said. “UH offered me at a GPA camp as a defensive player and that’s the only offer that I’ve gotten where they want me to play defense. The other offers are to play running back.”

Ah-Hoy was a Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State first-team pick as a utility player last season.

Cornerback Kekaula Kaniho, another All-State first team selection, is also weighing his options, as is defensive end Aliki Vimahi, who made All-State second team.

All mentioned that they are enjoying the recruiting process.

“It has been great,” said Kaniho, who has seven D-I FBS offers. “The coaches have been talking and communicating with me on that. I will wait until after the season and after my official visits to make a decision. If I had to choose now which schools to take visits at, I would go probably go to Washington State, Vanderbilt and Yale.

“It helps that coach (Vavae Tata) was there at Vanderbilt before (as an assistant). He knows the guys, knows the head coach and the system. They also have a great engineering program and I want to go into biomedical engineering. Their academics is up there.”

Kaniho did not practice Wednesday due to a broken nose suffered in a scrimmage against Mililani.

“It happened on a collision with a running back on the sideline right there,” he said, pointing to the press box side of Kahuku’s home field. “I ran up to him full speed from 20 yards away.”

Vimahi is thinking about going to a West Coast college and he’s shooting for the Pac-12. He has 10 D-I FBS offers, including Colorado, Washington State and Virginia Tech.

“It’s been a ride, really,” he said. “Things have been slowing down (in recruting) now that we’re coming into the season and I’m trying to get my mind ready for the season. I’m still trying to decide which school is best for me.

“If I have to, I would take some visits to the East Coast and see what they have to offer. I won’t be making my choice until after I take my visits.”