Kealakai Maiava, a freshman All-American offensive lineman in 2007, announced yesterday that he is transferring from the University of Colorado after just one season.

He said he filed his paperwork with the school Monday and that Colorado had granted him a release from his scholarship.

Maiava, a 2007 Baldwin High School graduate, said that he will first look for his next school in California, but didn't rule out junior college or Hawai'i.

''I'm definitely transferring for next year,'' Maiava said to The Maui News. ''I'm hoping somewhere on the West Coast, like in California or something.''

Maiava's older brother, Kaluka Maiava, is a probable starter at linebacker for Southern California in the fall when he will line up for his senior season.

Asked if there was any chance that he might end up at USC, Kealakai Maiava said, ''I don't know. That could be a possibility, maybe. It would be fun if that happened.''

Maiava said a combination of a position change to fullback — and his frustration at lack of playing time there — as well as family issues added up to his decision to leave Boulder.

''Well, there's a lot of family issues,'' Maiava said, declining to go into detail. ''I just feel like the closer I can get to home, I will feel a lot better and my family will feel a lot better. The position change also definitely had a lot to do with it — it didn't work out the way I was hoping and the way the coaches were hoping it would work out.''

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins told the Boulder Daily Camera on its Web site Wednesday, ''His decision was based on personal reasons, really a combination of a lot of things and situations he has going on.''

When asked why a player named a freshman All-American offensive lineman by scout.com would be switched to fullback, Maiava said at first he wasn't sure. He also said he saw the possibilities in the change.

''It was a challenge, so I just went with it,'' Maiava said.

After being the third fullback in spring drills, Maiava played only one snap in the team's spring game Saturday.

''I played fullback all the way through spring ball and I wasn't getting the amount of playing time that I was hoping for,'' Maiava said. ''In the spring game I only went in for one play and then I came out.''

Maiava said that he was on good terms with the school and enjoyed his time there — he will finish the semester and said he is in good academic standing.

''Oh no, I loved it out here, met a lot of good people and made a lot of good friends,'' he said. ''I'm grateful for my freshman year out here. No grudges at all.''

When asked again the reason for the position switch, Maiava said it was because of his 6-foot, 1/2-inch, 295-pound frame, considered somewhat small for an offensive guard.

''I don't want to talk bad or anything, but they said I'm too small, which I didn't really understand,'' Maiava said. ''They said, 'You can play fullback.' They were saying I was too small to play a good guard.''

Maiava started the final nine games of the season at left guard for the Buffaloes, who finished 6-7 after a loss to Alabama in the Independence Bowl.

He had four games in which he earned a game grade of 80 percent or better from the Buffaloes' coaching staff. He finished the regular season with 74 knockdown blocks, second-best on the team, and five direct touchdown blocks, tied for first on the team. His 575 offensive plays were the fourth-highest total among Colorado offensive linemen. His touchdown blocks matched Daniel Sanders, who had 883 snaps, and Maiava's knockdowns were second to Sanders.

To cap off the season, he was named the Buffaloes' most outstanding freshman by the team's coaches.

Now, Maiava is looking for a new school.

'''I'm hoping to get back on a D-I team; I have no favorites at the moment,'' he said. ''Hopefully when I start contacting them and stuff, there will be some interest.''

He said that California is his first choice of location and that the ''Pac-10 would be pretty cool. I mean, it doesn't really matter, you know what I'm saying?''

Instead of transferring to a D-I school and sitting out a season by NCAA rule, he might go to a junior college, where he could play immediately and go back into the recruiting pool in the fall.

''My goal is D-I,'' he said. ''If it doesn't work out, then it'll probably be a J.C. and try to get picked up again. I am hoping for D-I at the start.''

Maiava said he is currently at the same 295 pounds he weighed during the season.

''I'd like to be up to 305 next year,'' he said. ''That is where I'd like to play at. I'm going to finish the school year at Colorado. We are going to send out tapes to various schools in California. We will be trying to put out my accomplishments this year and hopefully they like what they see and ask me to join their team.

''I am hoping they kind of overlook my size and realize that I can play at the D-I level and hopefully it'll open a lot of doors.''

For more Maui news, visit www.mauinews.com