Signing day has a way of forging bonds between former foes while turning teammates into friendly rivals.

When Kapolei linebacker Tu'ulauena Lolohea signed his letter of intent with Hawaii yesterday, his mind immediately jumped to 2011 as he glanced toward fellow Hurricanes senior Shaydon Akuna.

“;Right after I signed I looked up and saw him sign and put on the Oregon State hat,”; said Lolohea, who could meet up with Akuna when the Warriors host the Beavers to close the 2011 regular season. “;I was like, I've already got the date down.”;

Lolohea was among 14 Hawaii products representing nine high schools who signed their letters of intent with the Warriors yesterday.

“;Seeing all the UH hats, people from different backgrounds, different schools to play as one now, I'm excited for that,”; Saint Louis defensive end Moses Samia said after a signing ceremony hosted by the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance at the Sheraton Waikiki. “;That's Hawaii.”;

The Warriors received 26 letters on signing day, and UH head coach Greg McMackin said the class isn't complete just yet, with the staff continuing to recruit a kicker.

“;We are going to scholarship a kicker, we need competition at that position and we need to get better at that position,”; McMackin said.

McMackin said the staff emphasized adding size and speed to the roster in crafting the latest class.

For the size element, the class includes five offensive linemen—four 6-foot-4 or taller—seven defensive linemen and five linebackers.

As for speed, the Warriors signed five receivers to replenish the ranks when they lose six following the upcoming season and two prep cornerbacks.

“;We think we've recruited to help us for the future, and some of these guys are going to complement us right away,”; McMackin said.

Just three of the Warriors' signees are from junior colleges, compared to 10 in both of McMackin's first two recruiting classes as head coach.

Two of the transfers—offensive lineman London Sapolu and receiver Darius Bright—are already in school as mid-year transfers. Siaki Cravens began his college career at Utah, played his freshman year at Long Beach City College and could bolster the Warriors at defensive end or linebacker.

“;We needed immediate help at receiver and we felt we needed a veteran offensive lineman and then we have (Cravens) and he's got three years. He's a player,”; McMackin said.

While the influx of freshmen might indicate an emphasis on the future, some of yesterday's signees are anxious to prove themselves sooner rather than later.

“;I can't wait to compete for a spot,”; said Pearl City offensive lineman David Lefotu, who plans to enroll in UH in June for summer school.

McMackin pointed to Lefotu as a cornerstone of the class following his commitment last summer and said linebacker T.J. Taimatuia of Artesia (Calif.) High has the potential to contribute right away.

Texas defensive end Desmond Dean was an intriguing late addition to the class. The 6-foot-7, 215-pounder said he had been in contact with the Hawaii coaches for about a month and was offered a scholarship on Tuesday, which he formally accepted yesterday.

Dean, the grandson of former Washington Redskins lineman Fred Dean, had received interest from Utah and Illinois and runs on the 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams at Tyler.

“;I think it'll be a good fit for me,”; Dean said. “;I was wanting to go to Hawaii so it was real exciting for me and my family.”;

Kevin Spain of Paradise Valley (Ariz.) High, the only quarterback in this year's class, said he signed his letter with a UH cap on and lei around his neck courtesy of a family friend.

“;It's just a big relief and I'm pretty excited about my future at UH,”; Spain said.

Relief was a recurring theme among the signees with the end of the recruiting process. Kamehameha's Beau Yap initially committed to Baylor, but was drawn to UH while returning from a visit to Oregon State over the weekend.

“;I was on the plane coming home and it kind of hit me that going away would be hard for me,”; Yap said. “;My family will get to watch me all the time, they don't have to watch on TV or use money and go up. Just staying home felt real comfortable.”;