UW Receives Commit from Ohio State Guard Looking for Fresh Start

Enokk Vimahi will be a sixth-year senior for the Huskies.

Enokk Viamahi and his mom share an Ohio State moment. / Ohio State

Images are hard to find of Enokk Vimahi at Ohio State. His personal information doesn't necessarily add up either, with Buckeyes records showing he pulled his only career start in 2022 against Michigan on the defensive line -- when he was always with the offense.

Vimahi should have plenty of opportunity to rectify these issues when he joins the University of Washington football team as an offensive guard for fall camp, after announcing on Monday he has committed to the Huskies from the transfer portal.

While the UW is in serious need of veteran offensive line help these days -- and it just lost former Old Dominion offensive tackle Chris Adams on a commitment flip to Memphis -- the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Vimahi is looking for a fresh start after having his career stall out some at Ohio State.

While he appeared in 37 games over five seasons, he still didn't play that much for the Big Ten team, hence the lack of photographic proof from the wire services. Ohio State records show he appeared in all 13 outings in 2022, but his season-high snaps topped out at just 23 each against Toledo and Michigan State.

Enokk Vimahi will transfer from Ohio State to the UW. / UW

A native of Kahuku, Hawaii, Vimahi arrived at Ohio State with much loftier goals. He was one of the nation's top 2019 recruits, considered the 132nd player in the country, the No. 8 offensive guard nationally and the No. 2 player coming out of the islands. He picked Ohio State from among 27 offers that included Oklahoma, Notre Dame, USC and even the Huskies, who recruited him back then with then-defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, who had the Hawaii territory, and former offensive line coach Scott Huff.

Now a sixth-year senior, Vimahi appeared in 3, 6, 8, 13 and 7 games over his career for the Buckeyes, starting just that one time in a 45-23 defeat to Michigan in Columbus two years ago when he appeared in every outing on the schedule.

This past season had to be particularly frustrating for him as he sat out three of the first four games, played in three consecutive, sat out another, played in three more and didn't get on the field against Michigan or Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

He's needed in Montlake, where the Huskies lost all five starters to the NFL as draftees or to the SEC as transfers and have an exceedingly young corps of O-linemen. For spring practice, the UW often used true freshmen Paki Finau and Michael Watkins as the starting guards.

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