Pair commits to Warriors
By Stacy Kaneshiro and Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writers
With a 1-2 combination, the University of Hawai'i football team boosted its defense by securing verbal commitments from a speedy defensive back and one of the state's most athletic defenders.
Ray Bass, a cornerback from Centennial High in Corona, Calif., and Daniel Tautofi, a linebacker from Kaimuki High, said they will sign letters of intent with the Warriors on Feb. 5, the first day of the NCAA signing period for football prospects.
Both have family ties to the Warriors. Bass is the younger brother of running back Mike Bass. Tautofi's older brother, Darrell Tautofi, is a defensive end who will play for the Warriors in the fall.
"I had a really good trip out there, and Hawai'i is a nice place to be," Bass said. "I felt really comfortable."
Bass said his brother served as his host. "He did a good job," Bass said.
Bass, who is 5 feet 11 and 170 pounds, ran 40 yards in 4.31 seconds at the Nike Camp in California last summer. He has a vertical jump of 40 inches.
Bass reported to the Nike Camp as a wide receiver, but was used at cornerback during the 2002 season. He is projected to play cornerback at UH.
"That's my main position," said Bass, who had five interceptions last season.
He also competes in track.
Bass took recruiting trips to UH, Colorado State, Arizona and California. He said he also received interest from Kansas, Washington State and Nebraska.
One of the factors in his decision, Bass said, was that UH's home games are shown on the Mainland. "I like the fact that my parents can watch me," he said.
Tautofi, who is 6 feet 2 and 230 pounds, has lettered in basketball and baseball. He can bench press 315 pounds.
Tautofi visited UH last weekend.
"I really liked the facilities," he said. "I think this is probably the best place to play for me. Basically, I always wanted to be a Warrior. I watched them play for a long time, and I thought it would be pretty neat to join my brother at UH and have my family watch us play at the same time."
Tautofi turned down an offer from Oregon to commit to UH.
Tautofi was named to The Advertiser's All-State team for the 2002 season. He was also chosen to the Advertiser's All-State second team in basketball and is currently one of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's top scorers.
"It will be an honor to play for (UH coach) June Jones," he said. "The players are great there, too."
HEADING ELSEWHERE
Arizona State, Wisconsin score: Two more Hawai'i high school recruits have decided to play at Mainland schools.
'Aiea offensive tackle Brandon Rodd said he will sign with Arizona State, while Kealakehe linebacker James Kamoku will sign with Wisconsin. Both were second-team all-state selections.
Rodd, who is 6 foot 5 and 275 pounds, visited the Tempe, Ariz., campus over the weekend before making his decision.
"I liked everything," Rodd said. "The school, the people, the facilities, the academics. There was no doubt in my mind when I went there that this was the place to be."
Rodd said he will have an opportunity to challenge for the starting right tackle spot because of the 12 linemen the team has, nine are guards.
Rodd was timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.9 seconds and tied a local prep combine record with 30 bench press repetitions of 185 pounds, said 'Aiea coach Wendell Say.
"They're getting a good player who has many good years ahead of him," Say said. "He's big, athletic."
Rodd said he has relatives in Arizona, so he won't feel homesick. His host on the trip was freshman defensive tackle Ali Likio, who played high school football in Texas, but was originally from Kapa'a.
Kamoku, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior, played linebacker for Kealakehe, but is likely to play free safety for the Badgers.
Wisconsin assistant Jeff Horton visited Kamoku over the weekend. Horton passed a message from head coach Barry Alvarez, who remembered how Kamoku responded to the coach's question: Which position do you see yourself playing?
"I said, 'I'll play anywhere, just as long as I get to play,' " recalled Kamoku. "Coach Horton said coach Alvarez said that was the most important thing he remembered me saying."
Kamoku was timed at a prep combine at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He bench pressed 185 pounds 12 times — after he had done 225 eight times before being told that high school players are tested at 185. College players test for the NFL bench press at 225 pounds.
