Despite Texas having the luxury of being in one of the four states in the country where you could build your roster with just in-state players, the Longhorns are a national brand.
This allows them to show up to any school in any state and catch the attention of recruits. However, there is one state in particular that many of the programs across the country do not really attempt to recruit, nor do they have right connections. That’s the lovely state of Hawaii.
On3‘s Jake Langi, who was a Player Personnel Analyst for Texas’ football program from 2019-2022, touched on the buzz still circling The Aloha State due to the efforts made by Jeff Choate during his time recruiting four-star linebacker Liona Lefau. The Kahuku product ranked as the No. 2 recruit in Hawaii and according to Langi may have been the first ever recruit from Hawaii to sign with Texas.
Langi explained that his contacts in Hawaii are still talking about Choate, and are now sporting Texas gear all over the island.
I have friends, family, and football contacts scattered all over Hawaii and they’re still buzzing over Choate signing Lefau, who might be the first ever recruit from Hawaii to sign with the Texas Longhorn football program. They’re telling me how crazy it is to see so many locals wearing Longhorn apparel nowadays because of Lefau. I’m sure Keonilei Akana’s winning serve in the volleyball national championship and her brother, Tausili, also joining the Longhorns definitely have a hand in that as well.
According to Langi, Choate has gained the respect of those in Hawaii which can only help Texas moving forward. Especially when you consider that the Longhorns sent out an offer to four-star offensive lineman Preston Taumua from Aiea High School.
While Langi doesn’t think the Longhorns will end up as the final destination for Taumua, he did express that for future classes to come the Longhorns could be the top contender for any recruit they target. This confidence stems from the fact that Choate put in the time, and has created what Langi tabbed “The Jeff Choate Effect”.
I saw firsthand that the Jeff Choate Effect is real. Although Texas will most likely not make a move in Hawaii this year, he’s laid the foundation for future classes. After signing Lefau and Akana, Choate is automatically in the running for the top player in Hawaii every year.
In a few years time, the Texas to Hawaii pipeline could be one of the more prominent connections in college football. If it is, Texas fans know exactly who to thank.