Just before the start of the University of Hawaii football team’s training camp, quarterbacks coach Jordan Wynn and receivers coach Luke Matthews discussed the shortage of wideouts.

"I told (Matthews) it’s going to be a test of how good a coach he really is," Wynn said. "When I told him that, he laughed. We had a laugh. He does a great job. I have no doubts."

The degree of difficulty increased with Wednesday’s announcement that freshman wideout Devan Stubblefield will miss the 2014 season because of tears to the ACL and meniscus in his left knee. Stubblefield will consult with doctors Thursday morning and set a surgery date.

"You feel badly for Stubblefield," head coach Norm Chow said. "He’s a good player."

Stubblefield is the latest loss at wideout. In December, Kwamane Bowens transferred to a junior college. After that, Bubba Poueu-Luna decided to retire from football. Two weeks ago, Keith Kirkwood requested — and received — a release from his scholarship to transfer to a school near his family’s home on the East Coast. On Friday, Vasquez Haynes will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

"That’s part of the game," Matthews said. "Every program has injuries. That’s why you have to create depth. We have some depth."

Stubblefield, a 2014 Saint Louis School graduate, was expected to compete for a starting job at Z, the strong-side receiver.

During the offseason conditioning program, Matthews said, Stubblefield "took the competition to another level. He always wanted to be first (in every drill), and it showed."

Stubblefield was the No. 2 Z, behind Utah transfer Quinton Pedroza on Monday, the first practice of training camp. On a reverse, Stubblefield’s path to the perimeter was clogged. While trying to cut inside, his foot planted awkwardly, and he collapsed in a heap.

"He wasn’t touched," Chow said.

An MRI showed the damage to Stubblefield’s left knee. He will miss the rest of the season, for sure, and this might hinder his chances of joining UH’s baseball team in January.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to him," quarterback Ikaika Woolsey said. "He’s a hard-working kid. He’s definitely someone who would have seen the field this year."

Pedroza served as a mentor.

"He’s a great guy," Pedroza said. "I’ve kind of taken him under my wing, kind of showed him the way so far. (The injury) just sucks. It’s tragic for him to go down on the first day (of training camp)."

Pedroza has practiced as the No. 1 Z receiver. Freshman Don’Yeh Patterson and walk-ons Ryan Pasoquen, Duke Bukoski and Terrence Sayles have practiced at Z. Patterson’s uncle is Keyshawn Johnson, a former NFL receiver. Pasoquen is a converted safety.

"When one of our soldiers falls down, we have to close rank and keep on marching," Woolsey said. "I have the utmost confidence in all our receivers, even the young guys coming in."