California lineman likes look of UH
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. — He has never been to Hawai'i, but he has been hearing a lot about it lately.
• WHO: Hawai'i (1-1) at Nevada-Las Vegas (1-1) • WHEN: Friday, 3 p.m. • WHERE: Sam Boyd Stadium • RADIO: Live, 1420 AM • TV: ESPN2
Fountain Valley offensive tackle Iolio "Lio" Talavou said he would take a recruiting trip to the University of Hawai'i if offered the opportunity.
UH football
He is kind of hard to miss. The 6-foot-3, 330-pound senior was considered the best offensive lineman at a Nike Camp at USC in April, according to his offensive line coach Lito Soifua. Talavou has already been offered scholarships from Arizona State, San Diego State and Washington State.
He has a recruiting visit set for Oct. 4 at Arizona State. He said he will schedule his Washington State visit after the season and go to San Diego State on an unofficial visit.
Talavou, who attended the UH-USC game, has heard the reputation of UH offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh through Soifua. If Soifua sounds familiar, he was the head coach at Wai'akea for the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
"My coach is from there and he makes it sound interesting," Talavou said. "I (heard) their coach (Cavanaugh) is pretty cool."
What Talavou said caught his attention about UH were the five linemen — Adrian Klemm, Kaulana Noa, Kynan Forney, Vince Manuwai and Wayne Hunter — Cavanaugh has helped send to the NFL.
"He's one of the best in the nation," Soifua said of Cavanaugh. "Look at the products he has in the NFL."
Talavou said he has been timed in the 40-yard dash in 5.3 seconds. He can bench press 185 pounds 28 times; his max is 380 pounds. He also squats 480 pounds.
Talavou said his high school team uses the West Coast offense, so he has a background in pass protection. But he said it doesn't matter what type of offense the college he goes to uses.
"I'll adjust," he said.
Talavou was a first-team all-Sunset League selection as a junior He said he still needs to improve his SAT score; he plans to re-take the exam next month.
As for Soifua, his journey from the Big Island to Orange County wasn't exactly a straight path. After he left Wai'akea, he enrolled at Brigham Young-Hawai'i in 1999 and completed his degree in exercise science in 2001. He almost landed a job in Louisville, Ky., but ended as a graduate assistant at Georgia State. A death in the family eventually brought him to Southern California.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
