The University of Hawaii football team secured a recruiting edge, receiving a 2026 commitment from an offensive tackle from Punahou School.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince I was a kid, it was a dream to play at UH,\u201d Wilhelm said. \u201cAt first, I wanted to be a basketball player. Then I really started loving playing football. \u2026 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\u2019s definitely where I want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilhelm is 6 feet 5 and 280 pounds. He has an 82-inch wingspan and size-11 hand.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a family friend,\u201d Wilhelm said. \u201cHe\u2019s taken me under his wing. \u2026 He\u2019s helped me out a lot. He\u2019s trained me to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Wilhelm\u2019s reach, footwork and aggressiveness have drawn comparisons to UH\u2019s former run-and-shoot offensive tackles, such as Kaulana Noa.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019ll be a good fit there,\u201d Wilhelm said. \u201cI hope to be successful there, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilhelm also works with Ho\u2018okua\u2018aina, a non-profit organization started by his parents, Dean and Michele Wilhelm.<\/p>\n
\u201dThe mission is to rebuild young lives from the ground up,\u201d Kamuela said of teaching the cultivation of kalo on a farm in Kailua. \u201cIt\u2019s a youth outreach program to help out kids and bring them around the \u2018aina 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.\u201d<\/p>\n