For the Hawai'i football team, an essential building block is to build the block.

To that end, the Warriors yesterday received a verbal promise from a top high school offensive lineman.

"I committed," said Chauncy Winchester-Makainai, a Kailua High School senior.

Winchester-Makainai is 6 feet 4 and 315 pounds.

He has played every position on the offensive line.

According to Kailua line coach Hauoli Wong, Makainai's "strength is at guard."

Winchester-Makainai received interest from Boise State, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan State, Utah and Washington.

But, he said, "I'm from Hawai'i, I want to play for my state. ... I've wanted to play for UH since I was younger."

Wong, a former UH offensive lineman, praised Winchester-Makainai's workmanlike attitude and approach.

"He comes to work every day," Wong said. "He does exactly what I ask of him, even though I'm a little hard on all of the linemen."

At Kailua, the coaches often use the blue-collar phrase: Bring your lunch every day.

"He brings his lunch," Wong said. "He's picked up a great work ethic. He's progressed. He has it in him to work hard in the weight room, on the field and in the class room."

In football, every player is compared to another, and Wong likened Winchester-Makainai — at this stage and in relative build — to Leonard Davis of the Dallas Cowboys.

"He's real big, real wide, hard to get around," Wong said. "That's what Chauncy is. And he can move."

Although Winchester-Makainai is technically and fundamentally sound, according to Wong, "I told him he's not a finesse player. He's a mauler."

Winchester-Makainai was named the top technician at the Brian Derby Camp for linemen.

He is capable of bench pressing 185 pounds 27 times, and 225 pounds 17 times. He has a 29-inch vertical jump.

Wong said he gave Winchester-Makainai the nickname "Cadillac."

"That's because he's smooth and floats along," Wong said.

Wong has played at the high school, college and pro level. It is because of that experience that Wong is confident in saying that Winchester-Makainai is "one of the best linemen coming out of Hawai'i. (The Warriors) will have something for the future."

Visit Tsai's blog at http://warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com.