Four-star OL honored with All-American Bowl jersey
Enokk with Coach Sterling Carvalho and one of the All-American Bowl officials.
Enokk Vimahi, one of the top un-committed prospects in the country, was honored Wednesday when the All-American Bowl jersey presentation tour hit the North Shore of Hawaii. Following the ceremony that drew the presence of family and friends at Kahuku, the four-star offensive lineman discussed what being selected to the prestigious all-star game meant to him. "It means the world to me and it shows that I'm doing something right on the football field," Vimahi told 247Sports. "I was blessed with talent to play the game and I know I've just got to work on it, so this is a big honor for me. To be an All-American means that you've had growth on and off the field, so I feel that I have been able to go through this journey and I'm excited to be an All-American. "From participating in the National Combine inside the Alamodome the year before to being selected for the actual All-American Bowl is just an answer to my questions regarding if I've been doing the right things, on and off the field. With how things are going, I know I'm headed in the right direction."
The 6-foot-4, 281-pound prospect became the first player from Kahuku to be named to the All-American Bowl since 2006 when defensive tackle Joseph Faifili played in the game. Vimahi is the nation’s No. 7-rated offensive guard in the 2019 class, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, and sits at No. 2 among prospects in the state of Hawaii. He has the versatility to play a variety of spots along the offensive line, showing toughness and physically in the run game but also proving his worth as a pass protector on the edge. His brother, Aliki, signed with Utah in the 2017 class.
On the recruiting front, Vimahi has taken an official visit to Notre Dame and has a trip to Oklahoma for the weekend of Dec. 15 circled on his calendar. "I know a lot about the Sooners on the field and all the success that program has been having," Vimahi said, "but it's just the things off the field pertaining to my schooling, what I want to study and class schedule, and life on campus that I'll be looking into more when I get out there for my visit. I'm also trying to fit in a visit to USC." The Trojans have been a longtime contender for the Hawaiian prospect and Vimahi said he is interested to see how things with head coach Clay Helton shake out in Los Angeles.
"It's really made me slow down on the process, especially when looking at USC," Vimahi said. "It's been affecting some of my decision making but I still feel that USC is a top school and top program, no matter what happens. USC has been showing me a lot of love right along with Notre Dame, coaches Brian Polian and Jeff Quinn. "Utah has also been in contact recently. Coach Lewis Powell is supposed to head out there in a couple weeks. I know Utah didn't make my top eight list, but they're always in consideration because of my brother." Vimahi intends to announce a college choice closer to the traditional National Signing Day date in February.
The All-American Bowl will be played inside the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas on Jan. 5 with the national broadcast set for NBC. The game has featured 380 NFL Draft picks including 86 that have gone in the first round, 16 Heisman Finalists, 52 Super Bowl Champions and 11 NFL Rookie of the Years among its alumni. The 2018 All-American Bowl included 42 of the top 50 overall recruits in the country and was watched by 41,017 inside the Alamodome, an All-American Bowl record for attendance.
Four-star OL honored with All-American Bowl jersey