Kapaa’s Kawika Rogers to spread his wings at Oregon

Long before Kawika Rogers was blowing up defenders at the Division II state championships, he was on the radar of a few FBS football programs.

Arizona State, Fresno State and UNLV took a liking to Kapaa’s 6-foot-6, 310-pound tackle. Later, Boise State and a green-tinted university in Eugene, Ore., also came forward with interest in the two-sport scholar-athlete.

Oregon was on Rogers immediately after Kapaa overpowered Kamehameha-Maui in the D-II state final.

“The coach from UH, coach (A’Lique) Terry, he left UH to go coach at Oregon. Before he left, I said, respectfully, I don’t want to stay home in Hawaii. I want to spread my wings,” Rogers recalled.

By the end of 2021, Terry was on staff at Oregon.

“Coach Terry said, ‘How do you like playing for the Ducks?’ I said I didn’t get an offer from them. He put down the phone and put the head coach on, Dan Lanning, and he said, ‘Hi Kawika, we’re really interested in you. We’ve seen your film and it looked amazing.’”

Lanning, formerly the defensive coordinator at Georgia, is in his first year at Oregon.

Oregon invited him and his parents, Malia and Solomon, for a visit on the weekend of Jan. 13.

“We looked at every nook and cranny, and the academics. Also, the coaching staff is amazing. They treated me like family,” Rogers said.

Rogers committed on Jan. 17, shortly after completing the visit. Everything about the Ducks seems to be a perfect fit.

“They said they’re going to play me at right tackle. They normally run a pistol formation with a lot of stretch. That’s my specialty. I love running outside,” he said.

Kapaa coach Mike Tresler, a former Hawaii defensive back, is stoked for his players. In addition to Rogers, junior linebacker/running back Solomone Malafu received an offer from Arizona State recently.

“Oregon and Arizona State are two great programs with outstanding coaches. We are fortunate to have the opportunity and exposure for these kids. We will certainly continue to foster those relationships in hopes that other student-athletes get similar opportunities,” Tresler said. “Special thanks to coach Terry at Oregon. I’m very excited for these two young men!”

The measurables tilt in Rogers’ favor. The football-volleyball athlete ran a 5.13 laser-timed 40-yard dash at a combine in Nevada last year. He has a squat max of 550 pounds and bench press max of 335. He has 11 reps at 225 pounds plus a vertical leap of 25.5 inches.

His first time on the squat rack, as a freshman, he maxed at 315 pounds.

“I love squats. It’s my favorite,” he said.

Rogers will have some of the finest training facilities in the world when he arrives on campus in Eugene soon. The academics will be elite, as well. He has a 3.7 grade-point average, including a 4.0 during his junior and senior years.

“They said out of the offensive line, they’re only giving three scholarships.

“Before I went to Oregon I wanted to major in Environmental Engineering, but they only have Bio Engineering. I’m going to major in Criminal Justice and minor in Journalism,” he said.

Kawika Rogers’ lockdown staples

Top 3 movies/shows

1. “Back to the Future”

“All of them.”

2. “Transformers”

3. “Ninja Turtles”