On most days after Hawaii football practices, Mark Weber will work out on the treadmill or elliptical machine.
These days, the unit Weber coaches—the Rainbow Warriors’ offensive line—also is at full strength.
The Warriors have a season-high 20 offensive linemen available for Saturday’s game against Air Force at Aloha Stadium. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.
“We’re in good shape, ” said Weber, who is in his second season on the UH coaching staff. “It is (the most ) in a long, long time. I don’t know when I’ve had this many guys who can play and help us win.”
Last week, Kohl Levao practiced with the first unit for the first time since suffering an injury in the opening week of training camp in July.
The NCAA also approved a legislative-relief waiver that allows Michael Eletise to play this season.
Without an exception, Eletise would have had to abide by the rule requiring a football player to redshirt after transferring between NCAA Division I schools. Eletise was at Arizona the previous three years.
And on Monday, right guard Solo Vaipulu, who missed the past three games, was cleared to play against Air Force. Vaipulu, a true sophomore, has started 17 UH games.
“More depth to the offensive line, ” head coach Nick Rolovich said. “We’ll be able to keep fresh legs. There are a lot of guys who can help us now.”
The abundance of linemen is in contrast to the 2018 spring semester.
Departures, medical hardships and injuries forced the Warriors to scramble to have enough offensive linemen for the 2018 spring game. The Warriors entered the 2018 season with left guard J.R. Hensley as the only full-time returning starter on the O-line.
And while many teams suffer injury-related attrition during the season, the Warriors are going against that trend by adding to the active roster. Last weekend, Levao opened at right guard, the third replacement in Vaipulu’s absernce.
“He’s a physical presence,” Weber said of 6-foot-6, 330-pound Levao, who started 11 games at right tackle and three at center last year. “That’s what he brings to the table. There are some nuances in playing the guard spot as opposed to tackle or center. He should be another week better.”
Eletise had been with the scout offense unitl he was notified his waiver was approved. “Eleteise didn’t get many reps, either, ” Weber said. “But he should be a week better. He has good talent.”
Eletise, who is 6-3 and 335 pounds, played 18 snaps at guard against Boise State last Saturday.
“I didn’t realize I played that much, ” Eletise said. “It felt so little. I was excited to get in the game. The coaches were like, ‘Michael, get ready, we’re throwing you in.’ I said, ‘I’m all for it, Coach.’ I started warming up. The next thing you know, the game’s over. I didn’t feel like I played at all. I could have played four more quarters.”
Eletise, who was a 4-star prospect as a Kaiser High senior, said it felt like old times.
“I was nervous, ” he said. “I was sitting down on the chairs next to the heaters, because I’m cold, and thinking back to my second year at Arizona. I felt the same way. Nervousness. But I knew the minute I go out there and started going after it, the butterflies would be gone, and I’d feel great.”
