If anyone should be pumped about boarding a plane and heading to Hawaii for next week’s Hula Bowl, it has to be Brandon Rideau.

Senior football games like the this one are a chance for aspiring professionals to strut their stuff in front of dozens of NFL scouts. Rideau is one of those players looking to impress, and he certainly can count on getting his chances at 6 p.m. Jan. 22 in Maui.

The former Kansas University wide receiver, who will join center Joe Vaughn and defensive end David McMillan in representing the Jayhawks at the game, will be catching balls from two of the most prolific passers in college football — Texas Tech’s Sonny Cumbie and Hawaii’s Timmy Chang.

Together, the West squad’s top two quarterbacks passed for an astonishing 9,000 yards and 72 touchdowns this season, leading their teams to bowl victories in 2004.

All three of KU’s representatives will have a shot to play for pay on Sundays next fall. An invitation to a senior All-Star game could improve those chances significantly if things go well.

“We are very proud of those young guys,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “They are very deserving and will do a great job in the game.”

The Jayhawks will arrive in Maui on Monday and take part in a week of work — and lots of fun — before Saturday’s game, which will be televised on ESPN (Sunflower Broadband Channel 33).

The East and West squads will practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and will be weighed and measured and conduct drills in front of NFL scouts during the week. Then there’s the fun away from the field — a grand luau, surfing contest, free luxurious meals and a chance to relax on the beach during the free time.

“I am excited for the trip, and I’m looking forward to playing football with some of the best players in the nation,” Vaughn said. “The three of us can’t wait to represent the Kansas Jayhawks in Hawaii.”

6Sports video: Three Jayhawks to play in Hula Bowl

The trio will be the first KU representatives to play in the annual game since wide receiver Isaac Byrd in 1996. Byrd, of course, went on to play in the NFL for Tennessee and Carolina.

Past KU greats like John Hadl, Gale Sayers, David Jaynes, Tony Sands and Dana Stubblefield also played in the game. This marks the first time, though, that three Jayhawks were invited in the same year.

The selections were made by an American Football Coaches Assn. committee of five former college head coaches. The squads will be led by Oregon’s Mike Bellotti and Georgia’s Mark Richt.

¢

Littrell picked up: KU graduate assistant Seth Littrell will leave Kansas and accept an assistant coaching position at Texas Tech.

A two-year member of KU’s coaching staff, Littrell will be the running backs coach for the pass-happy Red Raiders. While he was a GA at Kansas, Littrell was in charge of the offensive scout team.

¢

Blakesley returns: After four months on the shelf, Ottawa High senior Caleb Blakesley finally is back in competition.

Blakesley, a KU football commitment, injured his knee in a September football game and had surgery to repair torn cartilage and severe muscle lengthening around his right kneecap soon after.

He had been in rehabilitation ever since, but was given clearance to resume competition and join Ottawa’s basketball team Jan. 4 — almost three weeks earlier than expected.

“They were thrilled with his progress,” OHS basketball coach David Grover said. “He’s coming along. He’s got a real good range of motion.”

Wearing a sleeve around his knee, the 6-foot-5 Blakesley scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds in 10 minutes against De Soto last week in his season debut. He had five points and eight rebounds in 14 minutes against Paola this week.

Blakesley weighs 277 pounds. He was recruited by KU to play defensive tackle, though he also played offensive line while with the Cyclones.