Oregon State lands talented LB

Just a few days ago, we spoke with Honolulu (Hawaii) Kamehameha linebacker Mana Lolotai who had just returned from an official visit to Washington. The 'backer told us he was down to the Huskies and Oregon State and would likely decide later in the week. It didn't take him nearly that long.

"I committed to Oregon State," Lolotai said. "Washington was nice but I just felt more comfortable at Oregon State and it's just a better overall fit for me. It was nothing against Washington, I love those coaches and had a great time, but I'm more of a small town guy and Corvallis just gave me more of a feeling of being back home than Seattle.

"While I was on my visit to UW, I was really open minded about everything and really wasn't thinking about Oregon State. When I got home Sunday night, I sat down with my parents and my girlfriend and we discussed all the pros and cons and we all felt Oregon State was the right choice for me. My girlfriend, who is a sophomore at the University of Hawaii, is coming with me and she's excited about this as well."

Lolotai is a player we really liked at the SoCal Nike Camp where he shined in the position drills and tested well clocking a 4.79 in the 40, jumping 27 inches in the vertical and also did 23 reps on the bench. On film he's even more impressive and we feel Lolotai is one of the top 10 linebacker prospects in the West region.

"Another plus for Oregon State was being able to talk to my former head coach here Kanani Souza, who spent this past year as a grad assistant at Oregon State. He told me he really loves it there and not just the football side of things. He loves being there with the regular students because he's taking classes too and likes the area. I'm not sure what his plans are. I know originally he was going to spend a year there and them come back and coach at Kamehameha but I don't know if he knows what he's doing for sure right now.

"I also think my family's relationship with Coach Banker was a huge factor. He was the one recruiting me and really made me feel like I was a priority. I don't live close by. Even once you fly in here, I live kind of out in the country and it's a good drive but he made several visits to see me and that impressed my parents a lot. It showed how much he wanted me and I'm just really excited about getting out there in the fall."