The University of Hawaii football team secured a recruiting edge, receiving a 2026 commitment from an offensive tackle from Punahou School.
Kamuela Wilhelm said he will sign a scholarship agreement with the Rainbow Warriors in December, when the early-signing period opens for football prospects, and join UH as an edge blocker.
“Since I was a kid, it was a dream to play at UH,” Wilhelm said. “At first, I wanted to be a basketball player. Then I really started loving playing football. … After going on my official (UH-sponsored) visit, I really enjoyed it, and meeting all the coaches and staff and meeting the team. Everything about it, I loved. It’s definitely where I want to be.”
Wilhelm is 6 feet 5 and 280 pounds. He has an 82-inch wingspan and size-11 hand.
Chris Naeole, a former All-America guard who played 12 NFL seasons, has served as a mentor to Wilhelm. Naeole, who is an international scout for the Philadelphia Eagles, is also a former UH coach.
“He’s a family friend,” Wilhelm said. “He’s taken me under his wing. … He’s helped me out a lot. He’s trained me to get better.”
Don’t miss out on what’s happening!
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It’s FREE!
Wilhelm’s reach, footwork and aggressiveness have drawn comparisons to UH’s former run-and-shoot offensive tackles, such as Kaulana Noa.
“I think I’ll be a good fit there,” Wilhelm said. “I hope to be successful there, too.”
Wilhelm also works with Ho‘okua‘aina, a non-profit organization started by his parents, Dean and Michele Wilhelm.
”The mission is to rebuild young lives from the ground up,” Kamuela said of teaching the cultivation of kalo on a farm in Kailua. “It’s a youth outreach program to help out kids and bring them around the ‘aina and the work to show them how to farm. And to teach kids to be sustainable so they can learn about it and maybe, when they grow up, they can grow (kalo) for their families.”