Golden State Warriors welcome two new members, experience loss of a few players through the transfer portal
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team has seen a flurry of moves recently:
The Rainbow Warriors have secured commitments from two offensive-line transfers - Tai Marks from Tulsa and Erik Adkins from Bakersfield (Calif.) College. Both will join the Warriors in late May.
Caleb "C-Bo" Brown, a cornerback, has entered the NCAA transfer portal after two seasons with the Warriors. Center Sergio Muasau and long-snapper Jax Thompson have decided to hang up their helmets.
Two-sport athlete Jarret "JJ" Nielsen is leaving football and seeking a spot on another baseball team. Nielsen, who enrolled at UH as a freshman in January, was the Warriors' co-No. 2 quarterback in spring training. He played in seven games for the baseball 'Bows - two as a pinch hitter (he went 1-for-2) and five as a pinch runner.
Since the baseball portal doesn’t open until June 2, Nielsen applied for the football portal. Head football coach Timmy Chang assured there is time to sign another quarterback. Micah Alejado, Luke Weaver, and Caleb Freeman are the only quarterbacks on the UH roster currently.
Marks and Adkins are poised to fill voids in the Warriors' lineup. Muasau served as the Warriors' primary center for the past two seasons. Ethan Spencer took most of the snaps in spring ball. Marks, who stands 6 feet 1 and weighs 304 pounds, played as a guard and center for Tulsa.
Marks began his career at Colorado State, redshirting in 2020 and playing in 10 games as a second-year freshman in 2021. After that, he entered the portal. In 2022 and 2023, Marks played in 24 games, starting 23, for the Hurricane. He's now fully healed from a shoulder injury that hampered him during the 2024 season. Last year, Marks trained under Kody Cooke, who was the Hurricane’s athletic director of performance and strength. Cooke previously was the Warriors’ strength and conditioning coordinator for four years.
Adkins, standing 6-3 and weighing 305 pounds, is expected to vie for a spot at offensive tackle. Luke Felix-Fualalo exhausted his UH eligibility last November, and Ka'ena Decambra transferred to Arizona.
Adkins credits his friendships with UH linebacker Jalen Smith and safety Julian "JuJu" Smith for his decision. "I already had a connection," Adkins said. "My (recruiting) visit was great. I felt right at home."
Adkins, who played only one season at Bakersfield, will have four years to play three UH seasons.
Adkins switched from defensive lineman to offensive lineman through his sophomore season at Frontier High in Bakersfield.
Adkins and his friends are amateur poker players, a useful skill to keep defenses guessing.
Brown participated in the senior-night celebrations following the Warriors' regular-season finale against New Mexico in November. However, he utilized an exemption that allows a senior an extra season if he played in a non-NCAA program, such as a junior college. Brown didn't participate in contract drills during spring ball while recovering from a shoulder injury. Last week, the Warriors brought Sierra College cornerback Ben Drake on board. Cornerback Virdel Edwards II is now fully recovered and participated in spring training.
[1] https://uahawaiiwarriors.com/sports/football/roster[2] https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa-1.html[3] https://www.nfl.com/draft/2025/trackers/rookie-minicamp-invites[4] https://247sports.com/College/Hawaii/TransferRankings/
- The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team's roster now includes two offensive-line transfers, Tai Marks and Erik Adkins, who will join the team in late May.
- Caleb "C-Bo" Brown, a cornerback, has entered the NCAA transfer portal after two seasons with the Rainbow Warriors, and center Sergio Muasau and long-snapper Jax Thompson have decided to retire from American-football.
- After applying for the football portal as the baseball portal doesn't open until June 2, two-sport athlete Jarret "JJ" Nielsen is leaving football and seeking a spot on another baseball team.
- Football-analysis suggests that Marks and Adkins can fill voids in the Warriors' lineup, with Marks poised to play as a guard and center, and Adkins expected to vie for a spot at offensive tackle.
- Adkins's decision to join the Rainbow Warriors was partly influenced by his friendship with UH linebacker Jalen Smith and safety Julian "JuJu" Smith.
- Virdel Edwards II, who previously did not participate in contract drills due to a shoulder injury, is now fully recovered and participated in spring training, joining the recently added Sierra College cornerback Ben Drake on the team.
