Kauhi Solidifies Syracuse Commitment During Visit

One of Syracuse's two offensive line pledges from Hawaii goes in depth on his first trip to Central New York.

Class of 2021 offensive line prospect Austyn Kauhi committed to Syracuse back in June out of Kamehameha High in Hawaii despite never seeing the campus in person. That changed this past weekend when he and his mom flew to Central New York to see Syracuse University with their own eyes. 

"The main reason was to get a feel of the campus and see what everything is like being that it's so far from home," Kauhi said. "I wanted to see what it's like before I sign. When I first walked onto the campus, it looked bigger than what I thought it would be. It looks like a castle meets modern, and I thought that was really cool. My school is big too, and it's easier to walk around at Syracuse than it is at my school. So I think that's a good thing. 

"I wasn't able to go inside the football facilities, but my mom and I drove by the weight room. We were able to look in and stuff."

The trip solidified Kauhi's verbal commitment and he will sign with the Orange on the early National Signing Day. 

"Yeah I love Syracuse," Kauhi said. "Everyone we ran into there was super nice and welcoming. From the airport people to all the places we ate, the hotel people. Everyone was just nice up there."

Some of the highlights of the trip include firsts for Kauhi. It was his first time seeing snow, as well as a woodland creature, in person.

"There was snow, but it wasn't snowing," Kauhi said. "It was just on the ground. It was pretty cool. And I saw a lot of new things. When my mom and I were walking around campus, I saw squirrels for the first time. I thought that was pretty cool because we don't have that down here."

The 6-foot-5, 260 pound athletic offensive lineman will make his commitment official in less than a week when he signs his National Letter of Intent. A celebratory ceremony will be a bit different this year, and some of the logistics are still being finalized. 

"I was planning to sign at my school, but we're going to see what happens with that with covid and stuff," Kauhi said. "I'm planning on having a celebration with my friend and I. He's signing as well. So we're going to have a drive thru signing day celebration type thing."

Kauhi and his mom also took a trip to New York City after visiting Syracuse. There they checked out the Empire State Building, a wax museum, Rockefeller Center and Times Square.