Just six months ago, Ashtin “Kana'I” Kekahuna-Lopes didn't have any scholarship offers to play football at the next level. When he pictured his future after high school, he figured he'd probably end up joining the military.

It’s safe to say those plans have changed.

Over the past few months, Kekahuna-Lopes’s recruitment has exploded, receiving offers from several top FBS programs, including Utah, Washington, Boston College, Oregon State, San Diego State, Nevada, and Hawaii.

Due to so many offers coming in recently, he’s got a busy schedule in June visiting potential landing spots. Last weekend, he was able to visit Utah, and he came away pleasantly surprised.

“It definitely opened my eyes a lot,” he said. “Definitely a place I’m thinking about going.”

He was especially impressed with the Utes player development, using Devin Lloyd as an example.

"Coach Swan didn't just show me (Lloyd) though, he showed me a lot more other guys that have similar body types and similar stories to mine. It's definitely an eye opener that I could be one of them.”

He also pointed to academic development as another major factor that Utah can offer.

“Development is crazy! You can’t fail over there,” Kekahuna-Lopes said. “They have so many support programs and help that if you’re a student athlete it’s impossible for you to fail.”

It also helped that while he was on the visit, he met several fans that were enthusiastic to see him and other Ute players.

“The fans see us walking around with the Ute gear and they start yelling ‘Go Utes’,” he said. “It makes you feel good to be around a community like that that goes so hard for their team.”

He also recognized how that kind of support carries over to the field in the fall at the stadium.

“The intensity on the field, it just comes a little different,” he said. “Imagine you playing every Saturday night and every crowd that you play in front of is always sold out! That’s amazing to me.”

Kekahuna-Lopes is a full-blood Hawaiian, and if he selects Utah, he would be excited to represent the team as a Hawaiian on a team and in a community that has a strong Polynesian presence.

He visited Boston College the week before Utah, and he intends to visit Oregon State and Washington later this month. With his recruitment just starting a few months ago, it may take some time to make his final decision.