HONOLULU – For the second consecutive year, University of Hawai'i defensive lineman Jonah Kahahawai-Welch was nominated for the Wuerffel Trophy. Known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," the Wuerffel Trophy watch list consists of 108 players from college football's Football Bowl Subdivision.
 
A sixth-year senior from Kailua, O'ahu, Kahahawai-Welch has appeared in 25 career games for the Rainbow Warriors. He made 10 starts last season in which he recorded 26 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks.
 
Since joining the team after graduating from Kamehameha Schools-Kapālama, Kahahawai-Welch has been a model student-athlete. The three-time academic all-Mountain West selection is also one of the team's most active participants in community service, whether its meeting with senior citizens, feeding homeless shelters, volunteering for clean-ups, reading to children, and helping with Special Olympics.
 
Former UH long snapper Noah Borden was a semifinalist for the award in 2018.
 
The award is named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida. The Wuerffel Trophy honors college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world.
 
Semifinalists will be announced on November 2 and finalists will be announced on November 28. The formal announcement of the 2023 recipient will be made at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December and the presentation of the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy will occur on February 17, 2024 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga.