Upon being named the Kamehameha head football coach in 2023, Kaeo Drummondo evaluated his roster and realized the Warriors had a pair of generational talents in Taimane Purcell and Malakai Lee.
Purcell and Lee, now both seniors, signed with their respective colleges at a signing day event held at Kamehameha's Kekuhaupi‘o's Gym on Wednesday morning. Purcell signed with the University of California, while Lee is bound for the University of Michigan. Both chose their collegiate destinations among dozens of other individual offers.
Drummondo said players who posses the talent of Purcell and Lee come around once in a decade. He just so happened to have them both on his roster upon arrival.
"These types of players don't come around every two or three years. They're generational. They come around every decade, every 15, every 20 years. We're talking about young men that may be playing football on Sundays (in the NFL)," Drummondo told Aloha State Daily. "The football side of it, you get excited because it helps you a little bit to strategize. But then as I kind of got to know them and their personalities and the type of character, how humble they were, I wasn't surprised, because I know both of their families from growing up."
Lee, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle, signed with the Wolverines after turning down overtures from some of college football's biggest blue bloods. Alabama, Texas and Georgia were among his other suitors.
"I think from the first day I started getting recruited, I could feel a sense of home," Lee said of Michigan. "Whenever I've gone out there, whenever they came down here, I always felt like I had a stronger bond. I'm just super grateful.
"It's been a long process, a lot of thought and consideration, but I'm confident with the choices I made. I'm just grateful to God for putting me in this position, but from here on out, I'm glad to be a Michigan man."
Lee says he's already visited the campus in Ann Arbor five times, most recently over the weekend, as Michigan hosted Ohio State in one of the sport's greatest rivalries. The unbeaten Buckeyes prevailed 27-9.
After committing to Michigan in the summer, Lee stuck with his pledge, though other schools did not make it easy.
"It was definitely hard these past couple of months," Lee said. "A couple of schools have been really reaching out to me, trying to get me to flip my commitment. But I just stayed true."
While Lee will be the only Michigan signee from Hawai‘i this year, Purcell joins a growing Island pipeline to Berkeley.
In addition to Purcell, the Bears also signed Saint Louis quarterback Nainoa Lopes and Kailua offensive lineman Esaiah Wong. Saint Louis lineman Kamo‘i Huihui-White was also committed to Cal but was not signed as of Wednesday morning.
"I know there's some emotions of nervousness and being a little scared to go away to college and stuff, but I think my family and my support system is one of the best out there, and I think they're going to support me through it all, and they're going to make it very easy," Purcell said. "I think having people from the Island (at Cal), coming from the same culture that are from similar backgrounds and a similar place, having them around is going to make it a lot easier."
Purcell, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound athlete who has played on both sides of the ball for the Warriors like Lee, will narrow his focus to tight end with the Bears. He's hoping to catch passes from Campbell alum and current Cal star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele in no time.
"I texted him here and there, just checking up," Purcell said of Sagapolutele. "He tells me what he thinks about the environment."
Although they're all set to go to college, Purcell and Lee have one high school game left: The 2025 HHSAA Open Division state title game against Campbell on Friday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
"We've been locked in. It's now or never," Lee said. "I'm super excited for it. I think for me and Taimane, it's a great experience. In all four years, we never got this close. And now that we're right here, I'm super excited."
Added Drummondo: "I'm excited for today's practice. I'm excited to be able to go out on the field for two more days and watch them run around in preparation for Friday. I told the team last last night that Friday is waiting. We're excited for that opportunity, but I'm also excited to just have two more days of practice with them before we get out there on Friday."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
