Now that they’re both major contributors to the Hawaii football team, Art and Clayton Laurel don’t see much of each other after kickoff.

While Art is busy pursuing quarterbacks as one of the Warrior defense’s leading playmakers, Clayton’s attention is often focused on making adjustments to protect his own when the offense returns to the field.

“I don’t really get to watch him,” said Clayton Laurel, Hawaii’s starting left tackle. “We’re usually sitting down with the coaches telling us what to do. The only time I get to watch is on the big screen.”

Up in the stands, there aren’t many lulls for family members tracking the brothers’ play this season.

After being limited by injuries for most of his career, Clayton has started all five games for the Warriors in his fifth year in the program.

Art Laurel, a sophomore linebacker, ranks third in the Western Athletic Conference with four sacks and leads the Warriors (3-2, 1-0 WAC) with five tackles for loss.

“It means a lot to us,” Art Laurel said, “because it makes our parents proud because they get to watch both sides.”

Growing up two years apart in school, the Laurel brothers haven’t had many chances to start together. When Clayton was closing out his prep career at Leilehua, Art was still coming up with the Mules’ junior varsity.

After arriving at UH in 2007, Clayton redshirted then spent two years on the scout team and played sparingly as a junior. With his final year approaching, he asserted himself as the top candidate at left tackle last spring.

“I told him, ‘It’s up to you. You’ve got to want to take that position and be the best guy there and leave no doubt in anyone’s mind,’” UH offensive line coach Gordy Shaw said.

Clayton solidified his spot in fall camp and has provided stability on the left side of the offensive line while playing through some nagging aches in the last two games.

“I think the main reason he’s played is he’s not only technically sound and physically has everything, but he’s really toughened up and taken it personal for anybody to get to the quarterback,” head coach Greg McMackin said. “He’s been mentally tough and physically tough.”

Art played primarily on special teams last year and also made a strong move in the spring while playing the “elephant” position in the Warriors’ scheme.

His ability to both rush the passer and drop into coverage fits into the hybrid linebacker/defensive end role and he posted five tackles, including two sacks, in last Saturday’s 44-26 win at Louisiana Tech. He snagged his first career interception in the season opener against Colorado.

“Art’s one of our most mistake-free guys,” defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. “That was one of the reasons Art got that job and then the plays came afterward.”

The Laurel brothers were born in Hawaii but spent much of their childhood in Dayton, Ohio. They moved again when Clayton was a sophomore in high school, first to North Carolina for a few months, then finally back to the islands in 2003.

These days, the sibling competition that centered on video games and basketball growing up is sometimes renewed in 11-on-11 periods in practice.

“He’s quick, he’s got long arms, and not many people can easily get into him,” Art said of his older brother.

On the other side of the line, Art “has moves, and likes to try to juke me out,” Clayton said, “but I won’t fall for it.”