For the University of Hawai'i football coaches, after 13 months of assessing and wooing recruits, the bottom line is the bottom line.

Today is the first day football recruits may sign binding NCAA letters of intent.

"There are two minutes left in the game," UH coach Greg McMackin said last night, "and we're in the red zone."

The Warriors are optimistic that most of their recruits will turn pledges into written commitments. But how many? To that, they do not have a precise figure.

But according to people close to the situation, the coaches had a recruiting meeting yesterday morning. Two numbers were posted: 80 and 90. Of their scholarship offers, about 80 percent of them were accepted. Of those who accepted, they believe 90 percent will honor their commitments.

But estimates must be adjusted. Long Beach (Calif.) Poly defensive end Iuta Tepa will sign with UCLA. Palo Verdes (Nev.) linebacker Liloa Nobriga will go to Colorado. Wai'anae High defensive tackle Wade Keli'ikipi is leaning toward accepting a late-scholarship offer from Oregon. Kapolei High linebacker Chad Lopati is split between UH and Oregon State.

"Chad is taking it to the midnight hour," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said.

What's more, three other UH recruits have not met the academic requirements, and offensive tackle Pierce Burton decided to sign with San Jose State. UH was going to bring Burton in as a grayshirt; Burton will join the Spartans this summer.

Despite those losses, the Warriors won significant recruiting battles against BCS schools. Wideout Destin Stewart chose UH over Missouri.

Long Beach Poly linebacker George Daily-Lyles spurned late pitches from Arizona and non-BCS Colorado State.

"They were really pushing," Daily-Lyles said. "But I'm going to be a Warrior. They are pretty much the NFL team of Hawai'i. The people of Hawai'i are really cool. They really stood out to me. And I love the coaching staff and coach McMackin."

Safety Aaron Brown of Saddleback Community College also did not waiver, despite pressure from Oregon and Arizona State.

"Signing with Hawai'i is an obvious decision," Brown said. "It wasn't a hard decision at all."

Brown visited the weekend of UH's game against Cincinnati.

"I got to see the fans and meet the team," Brown said. "It's a great atmosphere. And the coaches are great."

Defensive tackle Zach Masch of Arizona Western College also opted to stick with his UH commitment.

Masch had made his pledge in December with the understanding that he would be able to join the Warriors last month. But the Warriors ran out of available mid-year scholarships, meaning Masch would miss spring practice and instead join in May.

Masch decided to field other offers. One came from UCLA.

UCLA is on the academic quarter system. Masch had hoped he would be able to join the Bruins at next month's start of the new quarter and participate in spring practice. But he was told the Bruins also were out of mid-year scholarships, and he would not be able to report until summer.

With all starting dates being equal, he decided to turn down the UCLA offer and sign with UH.

"I'm stoked for Hawai'i," Masch said. "Who wouldn't want to spend two years in Hawai'i for free and play for a great program?"

McMackin declined to place a grade on this recruiting class. But he said he believes there are a lot of quality players, and that "we competed against some big-time programs. We competed hard."

He credited Tony Tuioti, who was hired the past summer as director of player personnel, and his assistant coaches.

"They worked really hard," McMackin said.

McMackin said recruiting is "the lifeblood" of a football program, and that the signings are "four- and five-year" investments.

McMackin said Tuioti has helped craft a system in which the Warriors will know their position needs and available scholarships for the next five years. McMackin said he wants to avoid a top-heavy situation like last season, when there were 35 seniors. That is forcing the Warriors, who had to rebuild the offense last year, to focus on restocking the defense with this year's new scholarships.

If the expected commitments are honored, the Warriors will have addressed their offseason needs in the defensive secondary and defensive line.

The top three cornerbacks and three safeties from last year's team have completed their eligibility. This year's recruiting class has eight defensive backs.

The offensive line was addressed with commitments from four recruits, as well as the additions of two key non-scholarship players who already are in school.

The Warriors also will go the walk-on route to replace the voids created by the departure of placekicker Dan Kelly, punter Tim Grasso and long-snapper Jake Ingram.

Kevin Bell of Kelly Walsh High in Casper, Wyo., will compete at placekicker. Brett Symonds, who redshirted in 2008, also will challenge for the job.

Kahuku High's St. John Lessary will join UH as a preferred walk-on, and will compete for the punter's job.

And Ingram's younger brother, Luke Ingram, is expected to compete for the long-snapper's job.

The Warriors also are not done recruiting. They are in contention for Kahuku safety Jray Galeai.

Two years ago as a sophomore, Galeai verbally committed to Brigham Young. He still is expected to become a Cougar. But Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said: "The best trip he had was UH's. He enjoyed it."