6 Expected Hawaii Recruits Fail to Show for Visits

[Stallion]

according to one of the Honolulu papers. I wonder if some of them might be DB Chris Banjo(Hawaii commit from Texas but considering SMU), DB Jeremiah Alexander(Hawaii commit from Texas), DB Kevin Craft(visited SMU considering Hawaii) WR Lucious Henderson (Hawaii commit from Texas JUCO) or even WR Attrail Snipes(Hawaii commit who hasn't been really been heard from since June Jones left Hawaii)

[Garret]

Kraft visited UH a few weeks ago, he wasn't one of the people who didn't visit UH this weekend.

[Big Hoss]

That's pretty [deleted] if guys had committed to show up and just didn't. With the exception of Hawaii, this won't even make the news. But a school pulls a kids scholarship and everyone writes about it. Just goes to show you that recruiting promises are a 2-way street. Bet their high school coaches don't say word one to them about keeping their promises.

Garrett - hope you guys still put together a nice class out at UH.

[Garret]

That's pretty [deleted] if guys had committed to show up and just didn't. With the exception of Hawaii, this won't even make the news. But a school pulls a kids scholarship and everyone writes about it. Just goes to show you that recruiting promises are a 2-way street. Bet their high school coaches don't say word one to them about keeping their promises.

Garrett - hope you guys still put together a nice class out at UH.

It really isn't that bad. Those guys committed to schools so they didn't take their trips to UH. They could have kept quiet and enjoyed a nice weekend on UH's limited recruiting budget and then told them at the end of their trip that they wouldn't be coming to UH...this way is a lot better for UH.

By the way, UH had 6 commits after last weekend's visits (6 players visited and 6 committed) and they do not have 14 scholarships available...so I'm not feeling too bad that the number of recruits visiting dropped from 20 to 14. The trouble is that the players that committed elsewhere were some of the better ones UH was still after and they took scholarships from Washington State, Oregon State, or Utah.

Most of the recruits said that UH going to the Sugar Bowl and having the whole state behind them were big factors in why they chose UH...I'm thinking that the Sugar Bowl will pay off for a couple of years for UH.

One player that committed to a California school was one that UH really wanted...and I think he was going to visit SMU this weekend or next weekend, but he was impressed with the school he visited so he gave his commit and stopped his recruiting visits.

SMU really has raised its recruiting standards, as I talked with the parent of a 2-star OL who would love to go to SMU but isn't on SMU's list. I think that this player is really underrated, but I guess SMU has all of those redshirt freshmen on the OL and lots of needs elsewhere.

Craft would be a be recruit for SMU, especially considering how many big name schools that have been after him (UCLA with Neuheisel/Chow bieng the latest). You need two game-ready QBs to get through a season in JJ's offense...too bad he won't be going to UH because their coaches really wanted him! UH could have had Bower or others but they held out for Craft.

[Stallion]

APPARENTLY, none of the Texans mentioned above visited Hawaii this weekend from reports on Hawaii's board-however, its possible they could have already visited although I didn't see them listed last week either. And the previous week I don't believe they had a Coaching staff-expect at least some of these kids at SMU. Also see below about Anthony Laurenzi who I previously have mentioned and who is considering SMU:



Meanwhile, I'm BUMMED that UH lost out on OL/DL Anthony Laurenzi (Orange County Defensive POY, All-Southern California 2nd team defense) since his official recruiting visit (originally scheduled for this very 1/25 weekend with now departed Wes Suan) obviously fell through with the UH coaching changeover 3 weeks ago. When the UH recruiting visit didn't happen this weekend as was originally scheduled, I guess Anthony had to make his choice from the options (WSU, Nevada, Idaho & SMU) he had left. I'm just glad Anthony didn't pick to go to Nevada or Idaho to serve as an annual reminder of UH's loss opportunity

[Stallion]

Laurenzi sounds like a real "sack-time' specialist with 23 sacks in one year and 38 over the last 2 years. Offers from Washington St and Nevada and at least an offer to visit at Hawaii. Apparently has really beefed up to 6-4, 260 after putting on 45 pounds in the last year. Impressive since apparently he didn't lose a step. 23 sacks in one year is really unusual.


Finished the 2007 season with 91 tackles and 23 sacks, earning the Orange County Register's 2007 Defensive Player of the Year. The Century League named him lineman of the year and he was also the Southwest Division's defensive player of the year. First set the school sack record a junior with 15.

Helped El Dorado of Placentia to two straight CIF-SS division titles.

Laurenzi is also a two-time first-team All-CIF, All-League honoree.