UNLV Rebels Offensive Lineman Alani Makihele Is Happy To Be Back Home

After a year at UCLA, offensive guard Alani Makihele returned home to the UNLV Rebels to finish out his football career. He decided to return back to Las Vegas, where he felt more comfortable. He is now back to where he wants to be after a failed experiment in Los Angeles. Makihele spoke at length about the subject.

Makihele On Returning to UNLV

“It’s hard to compare how I felt there compared to here. I’m not sure my love for football was at UCLA. I have that at UNLV. I realized Los Angeles just wasn’t for me. I made a lot of friends there, but it didn’t feel like a home. Once I went into the transfer portal and UNLV coaches hit me up, I knew that I wanted to come back. This is my home away from home. I was super homesick in L.A. I wasn’t really checked in. But now I’m back here and feeling really comfortable... You come here and play a (Santa Ana) Mater Dei team and it’s just another stadium. In Alaska, you’re playing right up against the mountains when the sun hits them just right. It’s incredible.”

Offensive Line Coach Mike Sollenne on Makiehele's Return

“The first thing about Alani is that he’s a great kid to have in our program. He’s a veteran presence. He knows this place. He loves this place. Guys respect him. So having a veteran guy around who has played a lot of football to mentor and help those younger guys is huge for us and huge for them. Alani just has to keep learning our system. He has only had a few practices with us. He’s got to keep learning and getting better every day. That’s our focus. Get better every single day... “I think they’re all special, We have to go out and execute for every one. For (Makihele), he has 12 games left for sure guaranteed. Hopefully, we get more. But he’s got 12 left. UCLA might be special for him, but I hope they’re all pretty special."

It sounds like Makihele is happy to be back at UNLV, and the team is happy to have him back. He's going to be an important part of the offense this season and will be looking to show why he belongs in Vegas. You want players who want to be a part of what you're building and that is exactly the case for the big offensive guard at UNLV.

More UNLV Rebels On SI News