NEW YORK — UTSA junior Ahofitu Maka has earned a spot on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding center.
A native of Honolulu, Hawai'i, and a product of Punahou High School, Maka has started 17 straight games at center for the Roadrunners after transferring from Independence Community College prior to the 2019 campaign. During his short UTSA career, he has helped the offense register three of the top nine single-game rushing performances in program history.
This season, the 6-foot, 3-inch, 320-pounder has played every snap at center for the Roadrunners through the first five games. He has not allowed a sack and surrendered only one hit on the quarterback while logging a 98.3 pass block efficiency according to Pro Football Focus. Maka and the rest of the offensive line have helped pave the way for a balanced offense that is averaging 223.6 passing yards per contest and a ground game that is churning out 181.8 yards per outing behind Sincere McCormick, who leads the FBS in rushing yards with 569. Maka was a key part of a ground attack that posted 330 yards in the season-opening win over Texas State, the third-most rushing yards in a game in UTSA annals.
Making his UTSA debut as a redshirt sophomore in 2019, Maka drew starts at center in all 12 contests and helped the Roadrunners tally 4,139 yards of offense, including 1,950 on the ground and 2,189 through the air. The business major was a 2019-20 Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal recipient and Honor Roll member.
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.
Since its inception, the seventeen-year old award has raised over $4.45 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis.
Dave Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy's only two-time winner as the nation's finest college interior lineman.
For more on the Rimington Trophy and a list of past recipients, visit rimingtontrophy.com.
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