Ikaika Malloe has done it again in the Islands. Today, Kamehameha lineman, Kuao Peihopa gave his verbal commitment to Washington.
This came at a time when most Husky fans needed some good news, or to be clear, any news.
The decision came, in part, because of the ” best combination of culture, people, development, academics, and football”, Peihopa told Realdawg.com earlier this week, but that’s just the condensed version — the story actually started back when Peihopa was in eighth grade.
“I was tasked to make a visual organizer for the school of my dream”, Peihopa explained, “I guess it was the counselor’s way of opening our eyes to the possibility of going to colleges.
“Long story short, I did mine on the University of Washington, I thought..this school is the coolest thing ever — cherry blossoms and a powerhouse football program. A distant hope for me at that time.”
The following year, when Peihopa was a freshman, the “distant hope” began to not be so distant.
“In ninth grade during basketball season my coach called me into his office and told me there was a coach there — the first coach that ever came to watch me. I thought it was UH (Hawai’i) and I was pumped. Once I saw Coach Ikaika and Coach Pete walk through the door my heart stopped — I had just seen them on TV playing the National Championship semifinal.”
Of course, Peihopa couldn’t walk up and talk to the coaches because personal contact is restricted during evaluations by the NCAA, but Malloe and Petersen watched Peihopa play hoops that night, which isn’t really Peihopa’s game to begin with. But what they say showed promise for what he could do on the football field.
The Huskies also were able to see Peihopa on the field when Kamehameha played Punahou.
Later on, the Huskies would make the offer.
“When they offered me and I went up to the Apple Cup, we went on our visit and I remember the next day I felt weird”, Peihopa continued, “I didn’t want to talk even to my mom. I knew there was something going on in my head but I couldn’t place it.
“The game was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, but when I saw them running out of the tunnel I knew what I was feeling; I felt like I belonged. and I was bummed that I was leaving the next day…basically, that’s the essay version.”
One thing about Peihopa is that he’s a very thoughtful young man obviously is articulate and a perfect fit for the Built for Life program and all that Jimmy Lake is going to be building at Washington over the next several years.
Despite the fact that he’s ranked as an offensive lineman, the Huskies want him on the d-line. He’s a guy like Sama Paama in terms of physical strength, but he’s one more capable player if puts in the work to be NFL caliber like Vita Vea. This kid can be something very special at the next level.
Peihopa was scheduled to take an official trip to Washington on May 29th, but with the COVID-19 restrictions still in place, that’s tentative.
But Peihopa has been to Seattle before back in the winter (see article here )
So if he can’t make the official trip in May, he could wait because he knows what to expect when on the UW campus.
Peihopa chose the Huskies over Cal, Nebraska, Arizona State, UCLA, and several others who made his narrowed list. Overall, Peihopa held 13 offers before deciding to call it on his recruiting journey.
