HONOLULU — Alarm bells sounded anew around the University of Hawaii football program over the last seven days as another group of prominent Rainbow Warriors announced intentions to leave the embattled program.
The defections of two-time All-Mountain West Conference linebacker Darius Muasau, talented wide receiver Nick Mardner and starting defensive linemen Jonah Laulu and Justus Tavai, along with a handful of others to the transfer portal in the wake of the canceled EasyPost Hawaii Bowl, prompted a flurry of fan unrest on social media and dual statements issued by athletic director David Matlin and head coach Todd Graham.
They largely placed blame on the existence and convenience of the portal for the heavy turnover.
Earlier this month, the first round of defections to the portal included starting quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, starting running back Dae Dae Hunter, and defensive back Cameron Lockridge. Those players ended up at San Jose State, Liberty and South Alabama, respectively. The departure of Cordeiro in particular sparked dialogue about Graham's locker room culture and his fit with the local community — a discussion that has only intensified in recent days.
Graham’s son, Michael, a walk-on defensive back, became the latest known player to leave for the portal on Thursday.
Wide receivers coach Marcus Davis and offensive line coach A'Lique Terry have also moved on, to Georgia Southern and, reportedly, Oregon.
Here’s a roundup of the known player losses over the last seven days:
Darius Muasau, junior linebacker:
The Mililani High School alumnus was one of the program’s top overall players. He amassed team highs of 109 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss — including seven sacks — and five forced fumbles in 2021.
Nick Mardner, junior wide receiver:
The 6-foot-6 native of Ontario, Canada, put up a team-highs of 913 yards receiving and five receiving touchdowns in 2021.
He’s posted on Twitter that he has been offered from Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.
Jonah Laulu, junior defensive lineman:
Laulu, of Centennial High School in Las Vegas, had 34 tackles, including eight for loss, and four quarterback hurries.
He’s posted on Twitter that he has been offered from Florida State, UCLA, Oklahoma, LSU, Georgia and USC, Cal, Washington and Miami.
Justus Tavai, senior defensive lineman:
Tavai, the younger brother of UH alumnus and New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai, totaled 34 tackles, including five for loss, and recovered two fumbles.
Michael Graham, freshman defensive back/linebacker
The coach’s son and Kaiser High graduate appeared in nine games and assisted on two tackles on special teams.