Lokahi Pauole wasn't ready to end his UCF journey.
An immediate contributor at offensive guard the moment he stepped foot on campus in 2019, the Hawaii native will play his fifth and final season in Orlando this fall.
"Growing up, it was always about finishing what I started," Pauole said. "My parents instilled those types of values in me. I could have taken the jump to go to the next level last year, but I decided to come back to put my footprint on this program and leave a legacy behind the younger generations can look up to."
In the wake of center Matt Lee transferring to Miami, Pauole becomes UCF's clear leader on the offensive line. Was he surprised Lee left?
"Matt is a great friend of mine, a buddy," Pauole said. "We talked about it. We had discussions. Of course it was surprising. We came in together and he left, but it's all good. No hard feelings."
Time will tell if he stays there, but Pauole began spring practice working in Lee's old spot of center. UCF has recruited a couple transfers that can play the position, Bula Schmidt (Fresno State) and Drake Metcalf (Stanford), the latter of which will enroll this summer.
"Whatever coach tells me to play," Pauole said. "I'll play center. If he needs me to throw the ball, I'll play quarterback. Whatever he needs, I'll fill in. Matt (Lee) left, so right now I'm stepping in at center. I'm comfortable. I feel good. I'm ready for it."
Offensive line was a big portal focus this winter. In addition to the centers, UCF added a pair of tackles in Amari Kight (Alabama) and Marcellus Marshall (Kent State).
"They're veterans," Pauole said. "They came in ready. They're seasoned. Guys like Amari and even Marcellus, smooth transition. They've been in the game. They've been around other programs. They know what college football is like, what the speed is like."
Adding transfers to the mix is nothing new - last year's starting lineup included Ryan Swoboda (Virginia) and Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State). Swoboda graduated and Grable still has one year remaining.
"It's about cohesion and working together," Pauole said. "It doesn't matter who's next to you. It's trusting the guy next to you. Whether he's a freshman, senior or whether came from the SEC, whatever. It's about getting on the same page. Once we work, the whole offense works."
Pauole indicated "UCFast" could be making somewhat of a comeback under new offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw.
"Right now I'm seeing we're moving a lot faster than what we usually do," Pauole said. "Our offense was quicker to begin with, but right now our communication is different, the way our cadence is coming in is different. We're going back to our old brand of football. Moving the ball down the field faster, stretching the ball down the field. It's exciting."
UCF fell short in last year's AAC Championship, losing 45-28 to Tulane. Pauole said that left a bad taste in his mouth.
"That championship game hurts deep," Pauole said. "You get only so many opportunities to play in something like that. For my first time playing in a conference championship game, I'm still thinking about it. Plays I could have done better. Mistakes we made as a team. Things we could have all done better. That drives me to be a better leader."
Now the focus is all on the Big 12.
"We were excited when they announced it last year," Pauole said. "We didn't want to say it last year, but we were excited. Once we came in this winter, having that nasty feeling from losing last year's championship game, we were excited. This is a new opportunity. New faces. Same faces. We're ready."
