QUARTERBACK
» Candidates: Shane Austin, David Graves, Jeremy Higgins, Bryant Moniz, Cayman Shutter, Kevin Spain.

» Outlook: For all of the “Mighty Mo” promotions and the gaudy statistics (nation’s best 5,040 passing yards and 39 scoring throws), there was one digit that stood out for Moniz: his right big toe. Down the stretch last year, Moniz suffered from a partially torn ligament in which every step came with a grimace. He missed some practices to receive intensive treatment. Moniz bit his mouthpiece, didn’t complain, and instead averaged 1.28 broken tackles per scramble during the regular season. Offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich said Moniz has full comprehension of the four-wide scheme, knowledge that was culled from hours of studying videos. Moniz has a DVD projector that allows him to watch videos at home or on hotel-room walls. He then keeps detailed notes on index cards. “You don’t need to draw things up for him,” Rolovich said. “You can talk to him, and he understands.” Rolovich said Moniz can make all of throws, even solving the riddle of the “9 route,” a fade pattern along the right sideline. Moniz still has not been given the freedom to call plays, although he has designed a few that were used in games. “They all worked,” Rolovich said.

» Keep an eye on: David Graves, this year’s No. 3 quarterback, who is the early favorite for the starting job in 2012. Regarded as the Warriors’ best scrambler, Graves has worked on staying put while going through his read progressions. "This will be a big year for him," Rolovich said.

RUNNING BACK
» Candidates: Joey Cadiz, Josh Gonda, Will Gregory, Joey Iosefa, Sterling Jackson, Jared Leaf, John Lister.

» Outlook: Jackson’s life has gone in an East-West direction (Georgia to California to the Aloha State), but his running style is strictly North-South. “He can get us tough yards if we need it,” Rolovich said. Jackson is 6 feet and 220 pounds, but he runs low, and is difficult to grasp. He is strong (495-pound squat, 385-pound bench press), yet has a quick burst (1.63 seconds over 10 yards from a 3-point stance). He goes on scholarship in a couple of weeks. Iosefa was recruited as a 200-pound quarterback/safetey, but after grayshirt and redshirt years, he is ready for a game shirt. Iosefa was up to 245 pounds during the spring but now said he is 230. Jackson and Iosefa enter training camp bracketed as the No. 1 back. Lister is an aggressive blocker, and Leaf is a big guy with speed.

» Keep an eye on: Will Gregory, a freshman who can fill the role of speed back.

RECEIVER
» Left wideout: Joe Avery, Darius Bright, Charles Clay, Drew Loftus, Allen Sampson.

» Left slotback: Justin Clapp, Chris Gant, Scott Harding, Donnie King, Billy Ray Stutzmann.

» Right slotback: Edu Amadi, Miah Ostrowski, Corey Paclebar, Breydan Torres-Keohokapu.

» Right wideout: Terence Bell, Trevor Davis, Cecil Doe, Jett Jasper, Royce Pollard.

» Outlook: While slotbacks Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares will be missed, the coaching staff points out that in 2008, Salas was a wideout and Pilares a running back. The point? “It’s about finding the right place for each player,” head coach Greg McMackin said. Stutzmann and Ostrowski get the first shot as No. 1 slotbacks. Last year, Stutzmann was a wideout, and Ostrowski, who has not started a football game since his senior season at Punahou in 2006, was the basketball team’s point guard in the spring. Stutzmann has gained 20 pounds the past two years, and is a solid 185. He has sure hands, after-catch ability (7.22 yards), and endurance (he can sprint up Koko Head Crater in 15 minutes). Ostrowski has learned from the School of Hardwood, with success in basketball boosting his football confidence. “He understands spacing,” Rolovich said, a key for an offense in which players run diversion routes to free up teammates. Bright, who has conquered a foot injury, is a 6-5 outside receiver with speed. This summer, Bright has perfected the inside slant. In unbalanced formations, a slotback usually is shifted. This year, Bright might be motioned into the slot or the wide side of the formation. Pollard, who can sprint a sub-4.5 seconds in the 40, is the most precise route runner. Last year, he had only two drops in the 94 passes thrown in his direction.

» Keep an eye on: Of all of the moves — Sampson to wideout, Gant to slotback — the most seamless was Bell’s shift to the outside. Bell has a quick start (1.61 seconds over the first 10 yards) and acceleration (sub-4.5 seconds in the 40). He also is courageous on inside routes. "He’s an underestimated playmaker," Rolovich said.

OFFENSIVE LINE
» Left tackle: Austin Hansen, Clayton Laurel, Jordan Loeffler, Frank Loyd, Blake Muir.

» Left guard: Andrew Faaumu, Brett Leonard.

» Center: Kody Afusia, Matagisila Lefiti, London Sapolu.

» Right guard: Clint Daniel, Ben Dew, Dave Lefotu, Chauncy Winchester-Makainai.

» Right tackle: Levi Legay, Waylon Lolotai, Thomas Olds, Sean Shigematsu.

» Outlook: In replacing five starters, the Warriors are doing it without a middle class. Legay is the line’s only junior; Winchester-Makainai and Lolotai, who moved from defense, the only sophomores. Leonard and Lefiti earn starting jobs that should have been theirs last year. Injuries postponed those 2010 plans. Winchester-Makainai has the slight edge at right guard over Lefotu. Shigematsu had a strong spring finish to surpass Legay at right tackle. Laurel is penciled in as the left tackle in place of Hansen, whose NCAA suspension won’t allow him to play until a possible bowl game. Loeffler came back from a tweaked knee to challenge Laurel. Loyd moved from guard. Two years ago, the O-line was retooled. The blocking scheme was changed, helping the tackles step out to better impede the pass-rush lanes. The recruiting plan was to seek tall linemen with potential to fill out to 300 pounds. Loeffler and Shigematsu are examples; each gained more than 40 pounds. “(Shigematsu) was probably outside most people’s box,” line coach Gordy Shaw said. “He was a good volleyball player and a good basketball player. He’s not where he needed to be strength wise, but he’s smart, has long arms, and has very good footwork.”

» Keep an eye on: Faaumu, who was the guest who wouldn’t leave. He redshirted in 2007, then was cut before the 2008 training camp. But he lost weight, gained strength, and was added to the 2009 roster. He played in nine games last year. “He’s a self-made millionaire in football,” Shaw said. “He didn’t have 2 cents together when he first came to the University of Hawaii in his ability and physical size. He had the door slammed in his face. We gave him simple goals, and he attained them. Then we gave him tougher goals, and he made those.” Faaumu can play all five line positions, as well as long-snap.

DEFENSIVE LINE
» Left end: Craig Cofer, Desmond Dean, Marcus Malepeai, Liko Satele, Alema Tachibana.

» Left tackle: Haku Correa, Zach Masch, Siasau Matagiesi, Vaughn Meatoga.

» Right tackle: Geordon Hanohano, Moses Samia, Kaniela Tuipulotu.

» Right end: Siaki Cravens, Paipai Falemalu, Alasi Toilolo, Tavita Woodard, Beau Yap.

» Outlook: There are high expectations for Satele, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, and Falemalu, who is hoping to find his groove after bouncing between linebacker and rush end. To maintain the energy, the Warriors brought in Cofer, who has drawn comparisons to no-nonsense Matt Paul, and Woodard. Yap, Dean and Malepai had solid springs. The Warriors are at least three deep at each of the interior positions, with Tuipulotu and Meatoga leading the way. Tuipulotu, regarded as the Warriors’ top NFL prospect, has nose-tackle-like skills. Meatoga is more of a 3-technique tackle (aligned between the guard and tackle), although he is effective playing head-up against a lineman. What makes both exceptional is their ability to deal with double teams. “They do a great job of knocking back offensive linemen,” D-line coach Tony Tuioti said. UH tackles are taught two things: 1. Be aggressive (“strike first, strike fast” is the mantra), and 2. play to the “heel” line, which is where the blockers’ heels are at the snap. It has been calculated at that depth, the defensive tackles have the best angles to cutting off quicker running backs. “Those two guys are great at getting to the heel line," Tuioti said. “They’re not sitting back and catching the offensive linemen. They’re attacking. That’s what you can get from them.”

» Keep an eye on: Woodard, who is probably the Warriors’ most athletic lineman. In team testing, he touched 11 feet off a 38-inch vertical jump. His broad jump was nearly 91⁄2 feet, and he ran the 10-yard dash in 1.83 seconds. Not bad for a 6-foot-4, 254-pound defensive end.

LINEBACKER
» Outside: Aaron Brown, Brenden Daley, Rykin Enos, Art Laurel, Darryl McBride, Dylan McCagg, T.J. Taimatuia, Aulola Tonga, Kendrick Van Ackeren, Justin Vele.

» Middle: George Daily-Lyles, Jordan Monico, Corey Paredes.

» Outlook: Football isn’t baseball, and a linebacker doesn’t stay in one area, such as a right fielder staying only in right field. That versatility helps the Warriors cover more ground and run multiple defensive schemes. Brown is listed as the buck linebacker, but he often creeps to the line of scrimmage as a blitzer or drops into coverage as a rover. Laurel, Daley and Taimatuia, who has recovered from a broken foot, are used as the “elephant,” which is a hybrid pass-rusher/outside linebacker. Five of UH’s outside linebackers are former safeties. Paredes, who had a team-high 151 tackles out of a two-linebacker system last year, is moving to the middle this year. But that’s only an on-the-books label. “He’s going to move around,” said McMackin, who marvels at Paredes’ wide hunting area. Against Nevada last year, Paredes raced from the middle of the field to chase down long-striding quarterback Colin Kaepernick near the sideline. “There’s not many guys who can make that play,” McMackin said. “I don’t need to time him. I know he’s as fast as he needs to be. He has the Warrior’s heart.”

» Keep an eye on: Daley, a transfer from Ventura College who can play middle, outside and on the line of scrimmage.

SECONDARY
» Cornerback: Ijumaa Armstrong, Mike Edwards, John Hardy-Tuliau, Tank Hopkins, Dee Maggitt, Kawika Ornellas, Jaloni Williams, Terry Wilson.

» Safety: Tim Adebayo, Lorrne Bridgeford, Brian Clay, Kenny Estes, Jordan Gomes, Brandon Leslie, Leroy Lutu, Bubba Poueu-Luna, Richard Torres.

» Nickel back: Kamalani Alo, Mike Sellers.

» Outlook: The past two years, Torres and Hopkins emerged as leaders of the secondary. Torres is responsible for aligning the DBs. Hopkins, a part-time starter in 2009, missed all of last season because of a pelvic injury. Hopkins, who has fully recovered, had the fastest 10-yard sprint (1.6 seconds), and he is an aggressive open-field tackler. “Why do you think they call him Tank?” McMackin said. Edwards, who played eight games as a Tennessee freshman in 2009, is a shutdown corner. In a memo, a conditioning coach wrote that Edwards is the Warriors’ most athletic player. If Edwards, Hopkins and Ornellas can handle the corners, then Hardy-Tuliau can remain at the rover position known as quarter or move to free safety, where Estes and Leslie are competing. There is a role for Hardy-Tuliau in every defensive package. A couple of years ago, the Warriors often ran a 45 scheme involving five defensive backs in third-down situations. But offenses caught on, and tried to run power plays, even using bigger receivers to block. With more physical nickel backs, such as Hardy-Tuliau and Alo, UH has more match-up options.

» Keep an eye on: Clay, who is compared to a bigger Hardy-Tuliau.

SPECIALISTS
» Placekicker: Kenton Chun, Tyler Hadden, Kyle Niiro.

» Punter: Alex Dunnachie.

» Long-snapper: Luke Ingram.

» Outlook: The offseason goal was to improve the aggressiveness on special teams. Last year, the Warriors returned 19 of 70 punts (26 were fair catches) for a 3.8 return average. “The problem is we weren’t executing,” McMackin said. During spring practice, new special teams coordinator Dick Tomey emphasized techniques. “We attack on offense, we attack on defense, and now we’re going to go after punters and kickers,” McMackin said.

» Keep an eye on: Scott Harding, a former professional Australian Rules Football player. Harding, who is 24, is paying his way this semester, then will go on scholarship in January.