Video: UH football gains eight Hawaii high school commits

The University of Hawai'i completed its recruiting haul today, landing two players each from Saint Louis, Kahuku and Damien, as well as a record-setting junior college quarterback from California.

Greg Alexander, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback with a strong right arm who holds almost every major passing record at Santa Rosa Junior College, has signed a national letter of intent, the first day in which student-athletes can sign a document that binds them to a college.

"I signed it about 10 minutes ago, and faxed it," said Alexander.

Alexander said he will earn his associate degree in May, then move to Hawai'i. He will have two years to play two seasons.

"He's just an extremely big guy with an extremely big arm," said Eric Branch, sports writer for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat who has seen Alexander play about five or six times. a "For such a big guy, he can move OK. He's not a statue back there."

Alexander said he was first contacted by UH this past Saturday. He verbally committed Sunday. He said he will visit UH beginning Friday.

In 10 regular-season games, Alexander averaged 348.7 passing yards per game, second most among California community college quarterbacks.

In comparison, Kevin Craft, who ended up signing with UCLA, was third with an average of 331.6 passing yards per game.

He is the second quarterback to commit to UH, following Brent Rausch of College of the Desert.

Despite throwing for a school-record 3,876 yards and 43 touchdowns as a sophomore, Alexander received only an offer from Bowling Green as late as January.

"It was getting frustrating," Alexander told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. "I kept wondering what was going on."

Alexander's future changed, though, when former UH coach June Jones left to coach at Southern Methodist.

After Jones' departure, Craft, a Mt. San Antonio College quarterback and the state's JC Player of the Year, reconsidered signing with Hawai'i.

In mid-January, Hawai'i assistant coach Ron Lee called SRJC coach Keith Simons to inquire about a receiver on the team. In passing, Lee asked where Alexander was playing next year.

When Simons explained Alexander's situation, Hawai'i became interested, the article stated. What helped was that Jones' replacement, Greg McMackin, had recently hired Nick Rolovich as his quarterbacks coach.

Rolovich, a former UH quarterback and an area native, had been an assistant the past two years at City College of San Francisco, which competes against SRJC in the NorCal Conference.

Branch said that Rolovich knew plenty about Alexander. As a freshman, Alexander led the Bear Cubs to a 35-34 win against top-ranked CCSF. Alexander threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns as SRJC erased a 20-point, second-half deficit.

Simons told Alexander about Hawai'i's interest last week. Alexander spoke with Rolovich twice over the weekend and McMackin then offered him a scholarship.

"It's kind of strange how everything came together," said Alexander, who will finish the spring semester at SRJC. "But I'm happy to reap the benefits."

The following recruits said they have signed letters of intent with UH: