Dependability is rule 1 on special teams

Some coaches shy away from allowing full-time starters to risk injury playing on special teams.

Hawaii special teams coach Chris Demarest isn’t one of them.

"I just want the most dependable guys," Demarest said. "I don’t even know if they are going to start on offense or defense. I just want the most dependable guys for me and the situations they are in to get the best out of them."

Dee Maggitt is a good example this season. Despite starting 11 of Hawaii’s 12 games at cornerback last season and with no kick returning experience in college, Maggitt has practiced bringing back kickoffs during fall camp.

Running back Diocemy Saint Juste returns after posting a solid 25.1 returning average over the final six games of last season and should start the year as the No. 1 guy.

Freshman Darrian Josey is a burner, but Maggitt is hoping he can get his hands on a couple of kickoffs as well.

"I just told Coach (Demarest) I wanted to try it out because I don’t want to sit back and think if we lose I didn’t help out in every way I could," Maggitt said.

"I went to his office and told him, ‘Hey, where can I play?’ and he gave me a shot."

With the dependable Scott Harding handling both the punting and punt return duties, the real improvement in special teams could come in the place-kicking area.

Tyler Hadden is a senior who was good on 13 of 19 tries from inside 50 yards as a sophomore.

Instead of improving on that as a junior, he took a step back, missing twice from inside 30 yards and finishing with only seven makes in 13 tries.

Demarest has seen an improvement in the offseason and expects better from his kicker.

"This is the first time since I’ve seen him that he’s 100 percent in camp," Demarest said. "I’m pleased with the way he’s kicking."

In case Hadden struggles, Demarest brought in two kickers. Sophomore Ryan Weese is a transfer from Oklahoma State and freshman Kainoa McDonald won a state title at Punahou last season.

"I really believe in what we do here in our system, so there’s nothing I’m going to break and try to fix," Demarest said. "Each year I try to build depth and I think that’s one thing we’ve tried to do this offseason is build depth."