Vimahi Comes to UW for Second Chance, Holds First-Team Role

The Ohio State transfer hopes a change of scenery will boost his career.

Enokk Vimahi transferred from Ohio State to the UW to boost his career. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Three-plus weeks before the season opener, the University of Washington football team still has at least a half-dozen positions in question throughout the starting lineup.

Depending on how everyone's recovering health plays out, the Huskies still seem to be searching for a first-unit defensive tackle, a nickelback, a safety, an edge rusher and an offensive lineman or maybe even two.

Yet the position that stands to draw the most outside scrutiny moving forward is right offensive guard, a role currently occupied by Ohio State transfer Enokk Vimahi.

For six practices now, the 6-foot-4, 301-pound sixth-year senior from Kahuku, Hawaii, has run with the No. 1 Husky offense, poised to fill a spot that had three different starters in 2023 in Parker Brailsford, Julius Buelow and Geirean Hatchett, who have since transferred to Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma, respectively.

Vimahi comes to Seattle attempting to resurrect a college football career that held so much more promise for him in Columbus, Ohio, and didn't happen.

To this point, the UW has been a welcoming place for him, sending him out for every first-team snap. It's as if anything that previously didn't materialize has been forgotten.

"He's done a great job," said Brennan Carroll, Husky offensive coordinator and offensive-line coach, of Vimahi. "He's ready to rock. Sometimes it just doesn't work out where you are. He's had a great camp so far."

Brennan Carroll, left, has been a big supporter of Enokk Vimahi (57) so far. / Skylar Lin Visuals

These days, you get presented with two distinctly different images of Vimahi. At Ohio State, he's known as the guy who appeared in 36 of 61 games and drew just two starts, both as an injury fill-in.

That first starting assignment, coming in a 45-23 home loss to Michigan in 2022, didn't go well at all for him, according to news accounts. He lasted just 16 plays before getting replaced.

Vimahi also opened the most recently held Cotton Bowl for the Buckeyes, a 14-3 loss to Missouri, pulling 57 snaps that day. Ohio State finished with just 97 yards rushing on 33 carries against the SEC team.

Now Carroll will try to work his motivational and technique magic with a veteran player who appears athletic and fit enough when coming out of a stance for a Jedd Fisch team that wants to run with Jonah Coleman at tailback.

"He's got a great foundation," Carroll said. "Really the transition for him is just working with our terminology, working into the way we do things. Each coach and each program is going to be a little bit different, and just making those adjustments."

A four-star prospect, Vimahi was considered the nation's No. 5 offensive guard and No. 119 overall prospect in the Class of 2019, according to 247Sports. He chose Ohio State over a bevy of impressive suitors that included Florida, Oregon, Notre Dame, UCLA, USC and Washington.

“Enokk is a very good athlete,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said after signing him. “He’s a guy that we think can put on a lot of weight, get stronger. He’s super athletic. His father is one of his coaches. He, from a young age, has trained him to be an offensive lineman, but has done a lot of things with flexibility, body weight stuff. He’s very, very athletic, very agile.”

With the Buckeyes, Vimahi might have got lost in the shuffle of going up against some of the nation's foremost offensive-line recruits. Sadly, his father, David, who coached him at Kahuku High School, passed away in November 2021. Vimahi simply might have needed a change of scenery to get going.

Enokk Vimahi (57) works on being level in coming out of a stance. / Skylar Lin Visuals

He gave into the final option this spring and his Ohio State credentials enabled him to be penciled in as a starter once arriving in Montlake. Everything has been real positive for him in changing schools.

"Great guy, man," said Husky offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi of the newcomer, himself a San Diego State transfer. "Everyone loves him as soon as he came in. Great energy, great dude. I just can’t wait to play next to him.”

Yet the UW is no less competitive than Ohio State. It will be interesting to see if Vimahi can withstand all challenges that might emerge to try and attempt to take this job from him.

For instance, should center Landen Hatchett receive medical clearance from his knee injury to open the season and start on Aug. 31 against Weber State, other UW interior linemen such as Portland State transfer D'Angalo Titialii or holdover Zach Henning, centers in Hatchett's absence, could be put back in the offensive guard pool.

For now, the Huskies have great hope for Vimahi, with the UW offensive-line coach offering an unwavering positive outlook.

"He’s done a fantastic job for us," Carroll said. "He’s played a bunch of reps. He looks great out there. I’d expect him to be a big help this season.”

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