QB David Graves commits to the Warriors

About UH getting David Graves, his mentor Troy Taylor said:
"Hawai'i is getting a great player and a great person." (HA)

HA Note: "The latest University of Hawai'i football commitment was named Sacramento's Metro Football Player of the Year. He was one of the nation's most efficient high school quarterbacks, completing 72 percent of his passes and throwing for 40 touchdowns in 11 games. And he has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.76."

HA Note: "Graves, who is 6 feet 1 and 191 pounds, said he chose the Warriors because of the four-wide offense, the coaching staff and "Hawai'i's music.""

About his love for Jawaiian music and traditional island songs, Graves said:
"I love the music of the islands. I love the bending guitars, and the real soothing voices." (HA)

About how Curtis Gaesser, director of Folsom's award-winning Jazz Band & Choir, was raised in Hawaii, Graves said:
"He grew up playing island music. His first instrument was the ukulele. He's a great teacher." (HA)

About Graves' QB ability, Taylor (former QB coach for Cal who opened a year-round program that tutors QBs) said:
"The thing that impresses me the most is how quickly he gets rid of the ball. When you talk about a high-school-level quarterback, the most successful are the ones with quick releases and accuracy. He has the quickest release of any quarterback I've worked with in the high school or college level. He's very accurate. He has a strong arm. He's got all of the throws you need to make." (HA)

HA Note: "The past summer, the Folsom coaches called UH offensive coordinator Ron Lee for information about the Warriors' version of the four-wide offense. Folsom, which also runs a spread offense, has two UH-inspired plays: "Hawai'i" and "Hawai'i Switch." "

About how Graves ran a similar offense to UH in high school, Taylor said:
"Folsom runs a complex passing game. He learned to run the show, and he's very good at it. He's smart and competitive. I think he's a great fit for Hawai'i." (HA)

HA Note: "Folsom often went with an empty set, using five receivers and relying on both Graves' passing and scrambling. In 2008, Graves rushed for 696 yards and 11 touchdowns."

About Graves' running ability, Taylor said:
"He's a great quarterback, but some opponents said he was Folsom's best running back, too." (HA)

HA Note: "Graves indeed has multiple talents. He played quarterback from Pop Warner through his freshman season. To help out the team, he played wide receiver in 2006 and 2007. As a junior, he was named to the All-Metro team."

About how Graves played WR while waiting to be the QB starter, his father David Graves Sr. said:
"He's a quarterback, and he waited for his turn." (HA)

HA Note: "He initially made a verbal commitment to Nevada. But after visiting Hawai'i the weekend before the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, he changed his mind."

About how his son broke his verbal commitment to Nevada to choose UH, David Sr. said:
"It wasn't easy for him. I told him to do what was best for himself." (HA)

HA Note: "David Sr. said his son was impressed with Lee and UH quarterbacks coach Nick Rolovich. He said his son liked head coach Greg McMackin's "positive style." Last week, Graves notified the Nevada coaches that he was de-committing."

About choosing UH over Nevada, Graves said:
"Nevada has great coaches and a great program. But I feel there are more opportunities for me in Hawai'i. I see Hawai'i as a better fit for me, probably a better life experience." (HA)