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Every day is moving day for University of Hawaii offensive lineman Lipe Moala.
“He uses his strength, which is moving people,” UH O-line coach Derek Fa‘avi said of 6-foot-5, 345-pound Moala.
In the first seven practices of training camp, Moala has emerged as the top left guard on the Rainbow Warriors’ No. 1 offensive line. He earned a spot on a unit featuring left tackle Boogie Henderson, center Ethan Spencer, right guard Judah Kaio, and right tackle Dean Briski.
“He’s a quiet guy,” Spencer said of Moala, “but when you’re on the field, you know he’s there. He’s really good at moving people. He’s really good at run-blocking and pass-blocking. Obviously, we’re all not perfect We’re all trying to improve. But Lipe’s really good.”
Moala hopes to fulfill the potential shown when he was 3-star prospect at Mater Dei High School. ESPN rated Moala as the No. 5 guard in California. The scouting service 247Sports listed him as California’s fifth-best interior offensive lineman.
Moala received 2023 offers from Colorado State, Kansas, Louisville, New Mexico State, San Diego State, Utah and Washington. He chose Oregon after bonding with point recruiter Adrian Klemm, who was the Ducks’ associate head coach, run-game coordinator and O-line coach at the time. Klemm, a former UH lineman, accepted a position with the New England Patriots following the Ducks’ 2022 season. But Moala stuck to his commitment.
“He was the biggest sleeper in that (2023) class,” said Brandon Huffman, 247Sports’ national recruiting editor. “That (Oregon) class was so good. It was the first full class that Dan Lanning signed.”
Moala redshirted in 2023, and participated in a combined 11 games in 2024 and 2025. Moala opted to enter the transfer portal ahead of the Ducks’ appearance in the 2025 Peach Bowl.
“It was more of a matter of traffic than talent,” Huffman said. “He definitely has the ability to play. If you don’t crack that depth chart early on at Oregon, they’ll find (other) players. He definitely can play.”
Fa‘avi and UH assistant line coach Winterhawk Leighton agreed.
“Coach Hawk and Coach Fa‘avi called me every day,” Moala recalled. “They made me feel wanted.”
Moala also consulted with his brother Etuate Moala, a former UH defensive lineman.
“He was telling me about the ‘Braddahhood’ and how everybody’s chill out here” said Moala, who joined the Warriors in January.
Moala has enjoyed the culture, the family atmosphere, and the cuisine.
“There’s a lot of good food out here, a lot of temptations,” he said. “Once we started (offseason) workouts, changing my diet was a huge thing, especially with all the good food around here.”
With strength/conditioning coordinator Bobby Thomas’ direction, Moala added strength and flexibility through rigorous morning drills. He also has honed the punch, the two-handed thrust to the jersey numbers to repel grasping defensive linemen.
“I put my head down and went to work,” Moala said. “There definitely are a lot of moving pieces for a guard — a lot of pulling, a lot of different sets. Changing my body had to do with that, too.”
Moala also did not abandon white rice. To strengthen his forearms and grip, Moala burrows his hands into a bin of uncooked rice.
Fa‘avi said Moala has picked up the nuances of the Warriors’ four-wide offense, whose menu includes a mobile pocket, various blocking schemes, and leak-proof protection.
“It’s a credit to him for adjusting so quickly,” Fa‘avi said. “If there’s one thing he brought from (Oregon), I would think, it was that experience in learning an offense and being able to apply it.”
At Oregon, he went on hikes during his free time.
“I haven’t gone on any hikes over here except for Kokohead,” Moala said of the 1.6-mile roundtrip. “I wouldn’t do it again. It was tough. I took my time, but it still was tough. But (the view) was beautiful on top. It’s a beautiful island.”
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“He uses his strength, which is moving people,” UH O-line coach Derek Fa‘avi said of 6-foot-5, 345-pound Moala.
In the first seven practices of training camp, Moala has emerged as the top left guard on the Rainbow Warriors’ No. 1 offensive line. He earned a spot on a unit featuring left tackle Boogie Henderson, center Ethan Spencer, right guard Judah Kaio, and right tackle Dean Briski.
“He’s a quiet guy,” Spencer said of Moala, “but when you’re on the field, you know he’s there. He’s really good at moving people. He’s really good at run-blocking and pass-blocking. Obviously, we’re all not perfect We’re all trying to improve. But Lipe’s really good.”
Moala hopes to fulfill the potential shown when he was 3-star prospect at Mater Dei High School. ESPN rated Moala as the No. 5 guard in California. The scouting service 247Sports listed him as California’s fifth-best interior offensive lineman.
Moala received 2023 offers from Colorado State, Kansas, Louisville, New Mexico State, San Diego State, Utah and Washington. He chose Oregon after bonding with point recruiter Adrian Klemm, who was the Ducks’ associate head coach, run-game coordinator and O-line coach at the time. Klemm, a former UH lineman, accepted a position with the New England Patriots following the Ducks’ 2022 season. But Moala stuck to his commitment.
“He was the biggest sleeper in that (2023) class,” said Brandon Huffman, 247Sports’ national recruiting editor. “That (Oregon) class was so good. It was the first full class that Dan Lanning signed.”
Moala redshirted in 2023, and participated in a combined 11 games in 2024 and 2025. Moala opted to enter the transfer portal ahead of the Ducks’ appearance in the 2025 Peach Bowl.
“It was more of a matter of traffic than talent,” Huffman said. “He definitely has the ability to play. If you don’t crack that depth chart early on at Oregon, they’ll find (other) players. He definitely can play.”
Fa‘avi and UH assistant line coach Winterhawk Leighton agreed.
“Coach Hawk and Coach Fa‘avi called me every day,” Moala recalled. “They made me feel wanted.”
Moala also consulted with his brother Etuate Moala, a former UH defensive lineman.
“He was telling me about the ‘Braddahhood’ and how everybody’s chill out here” said Moala, who joined the Warriors in January.
Moala has enjoyed the culture, the family atmosphere, and the cuisine.
“There’s a lot of good food out here, a lot of temptations,” he said. “Once we started (offseason) workouts, changing my diet was a huge thing, especially with all the good food around here.”
With strength/conditioning coordinator Bobby Thomas’ direction, Moala added strength and flexibility through rigorous morning drills. He also has honed the punch, the two-handed thrust to the jersey numbers to repel grasping defensive linemen.
“I put my head down and went to work,” Moala said. “There definitely are a lot of moving pieces for a guard — a lot of pulling, a lot of different sets. Changing my body had to do with that, too.”
Moala also did not abandon white rice. To strengthen his forearms and grip, Moala burrows his hands into a bin of uncooked rice.
Fa‘avi said Moala has picked up the nuances of the Warriors’ four-wide offense, whose menu includes a mobile pocket, various blocking schemes, and leak-proof protection.
“It’s a credit to him for adjusting so quickly,” Fa‘avi said. “If there’s one thing he brought from (Oregon), I would think, it was that experience in learning an offense and being able to apply it.”
At Oregon, he went on hikes during his free time.
“I haven’t gone on any hikes over here except for Kokohead,” Moala said of the 1.6-mile roundtrip. “I wouldn’t do it again. It was tough. I took my time, but it still was tough. But (the view) was beautiful on top. It’s a beautiful island.”
—
Continue reading...
