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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Top football prospects get national exposure

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Tom Lemming, a national football recruiting expert, prepares to take a photo of Saint Louis' Billy Ray Stutzmann at Kapolei High School.

DEBORAH BOOKER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Manti Te'o

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KAPOLEI — They still have another year, and for two of them, two more years of high school.

But the reality of a chance to play Division I football dawned upon 15 Hawai'i players yesterday at Kapolei High. That's when they were told they would have their photos and biographies in a national recruiting magazine, as well as have their videos shown on national TV for being recognized as the top recruits in the state.

Tom Lemming, editor of the Prep Football Report and TV host of Generation Next, was here to gather information and take photos of the prospects, two of whom came from Maui. More information can be sought from this Web site: www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recruiting/recruiting.html.

"It's great to be a part of it," Punahou all-state senior-to-be linebacker Manti Te'o said. "Hopefully, we'll get exposure from this. It's a stepping stone for us to get to college."

It isn't as if Te'o, already regarded as the top recruit in the state, needed more exposure. He is already ranked 14th in the top 150 prospects in the nation by the Web site. Te'o said he has 29 offers in writing, including Notre Dame, Southern California, Tennessee, Louisiana State, Auburn, to name a few.

Te'o played linebacker and running back for the Buffanblu last season. He said he is being recruited as a linebacker.

"I'll play inside or outside (linebacker)," he said. "As long as I'm on the field playing."

Two players came in from Maui: Baldwin defensive lineman Mana Rosa and Kamehameha-Maui tight end Jordan Puu-Robinson.

"The exposure helps us out a lot," Rosa said. "A scholarship would help my parents a lot."

Other seniors-to-be invited to the event were: Punahou running back Dalton Hilliard; Saint Louis receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann and lineman Kapua Sai; Kapolei linemen Stan Hasiak and Chad Lopati; Wai'anae lineman Wade Keli'ikipi and running back Danny Kekoanui; Kahuku quarterback Jray Galeai and safety Auloa Tonga; Kailua lineman Chauncy Winchester-Makainai; Kalaheo linebacker Shawn Reed; Damien lineman Benson Ma'afala and quarterback/defensive back Anthony Tuitele.

Juniors-to-be invited were Farrington linebacker VJ Fehoko and Mililani receiver Taz Stevenson.

Like Te'o, some of the other players already have offers, such as Hilliard. He has nine, including Stanford, Notre Dame, Arizona and Nebraska. Kalaheo's Reed said Army has made him an offer.

College recruiters already in town for face-to-face meetings with players also stopped by Kapolei yesterday. Among them were Oregon State offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh, formerly of Hawai'i, Auburn defensive ends coach Terry Price and California defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi. NCAA recruiting rules prohibit them from commenting on players.

Lemming said his project started in December and that Hawai'i is one of his last stops. He said the Prep Football Report magazine will hit store shelves around Aug. 1. The TV previews also begin airing late August, he said. This is the first time he brought this project here.

"It was important to see the players in person," he said.

The meeting was arranged by Doris Sullivan of the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance, a non-profit organization that helps Hawai'i high school athletes find college placement.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.