With national signing day behind him, Tony Tuioti could take a deep breath and relax for a moment.

But only for a moment.

As Hawaii's director of player personnel, coordinating the Warriors' recruiting efforts kept Tuioti's schedule full through Wednesday's arrival of signed letters of intent from 26 recruits.

Even with the sense of closure that accompanies signing day, there remained the matter of adding a kicker to this year's class while already looking ahead to the next crop of prospects.

“;It brings this season to a close, and come Monday we'll start turning our attention to 2011 recruiting and spring ball,”; Tuioti said.

Tuioti said the coaches have already identified some of next year's top local prospects, and the next major push will come in mid-April with the program's annual junior day.

As for the mainland, Tuioti said the coaches, “;want to look at Washington, California, Las Vegas, Utah, and be able to keep that pipeline we have to Texas and Florida.”;

For now, with the 2010 class nearly complete, the next date circled on the calendar is March 31, the opening day of spring practice.

Two of the newcomers are already in school and will compete in the spring, while much of the class is expected to check in for summer school, with a few delaying their enrollment until January as grayshirts.

In crafting the class, the UH coaches targeted depth on both sides of the line of scrimmage as a priority. They signed five offensive linemen to replenish the depth chart. With the defensive front fairly stocked with interior linemen, they signed seven pass-rushing defensive ends, an area where the Warriors ran thin last season.

“;This class was critical for us to address some of the positional needs we have,”; Tuioti said.

The Warriors signed Siaki Cravens, a converted receiver, for immediate help at end or outside linebacker and got a boost when Kamehameha's Beau Yap switched his commitment from Baylor to UH.

Tuioti said Kailua's Calen Friel may have been among the state's top linemen if he hadn't been sidelined by a knee injury early in the season.

“;I'm ahead of schedule, my knee is strong now,”; said Friel, who committed to UH last summer. “;My doctors are tripping out at how fast I'm healing. ... I'm ready already. I can't wait.”;

On offense, the coaches expect transfer wideout Darius Bright to help the Warriors address their issues near the goal line. Their troubles converting on scoring opportunities became a recurring theme throughout a 6-7 season.

“;We believe he gives us size and speed, especially in the red zone,”; Tuioti said of the 6-foot-5 junior. “;He gives us another threat for our quarterbacks to look at.”;

In the secondary, UH coaches are high on the lockdown potential of cornerback Dee Maggitt and the play-making ability of John Hardy-Tuliau, whose special teams acumen (he blocked a record 26 kicks in three years of high school) could get him on the field early in his career.

As for outside opinions of the class, rivals.com rates the Warriors' group 65th in the nation, while scout.com placed Hawaii 81st. Both recruiting services ranked the Warriors second in the Western Athletic Conference behind Fresno State.

“;I don't care about four stars or five stars, I care that a guy can make plays,”; head coach Greg McMackin said on Wednesday. “;We recruit people for what we do, and I have never been influenced by how many stars a guy has.”;

Family ties

Along with earning a scholarship, Saint Louis safety Marcus Umu gave himself a chance to fulfill another goal by signing with the Warriors. He'll join his cousin, defensive tackle Kamalu Umu—a defensive lineman who transferred from Charleston Southern last year—on the UH roster.

“;I've wanted to play with him ever since I was little. So it's real special to stay home,”; Marcus Umu said.

California signees Bubba Poueu-Luna and John Hardy-Tuliau are also cousins. Offensive linemen David Lefotu and Kody Afusia discovered they were distant relatives during their recruiting visit.