Quarterbacks
Coach Norm Chow and graduate assistant Jordan Wynn will mentor Taylor Graham, who has the build (6 feet 5, 235 pounds) and genes (his father is former NFL QB Kent Graham).
"Taylor is a guy we’re really excited about, but we temper that because he hasn’t played much (the past three years)," Chow said.
Sean Schroeder, who started 11 of the Warriors’ 12 games in 2012, won’t practice at all this spring. He will undergo surgery for a back injury. The surgery is set for April 1, and Schroeder should be throwing again in early July.
Schroeder’s absence will provide more reps for Jeremy Higgins, Ikaika Woolsey and Justin Alo. Higgins started a game last season. Woolsey and Alo have not played in games since 2010. Both grayshirted in 2011 and redshirted in 2012. Woolsey had long hair when he arrived on the Manoa campus in January 2012, drawing comparisons to former quarterback Bryant Moniz. Woolsey cut his hair and shed the "Baby Mo" handle. Woolsey is a pocket QB with a strong arm.
Running backs
Two of last year’s top carriers will not participate in spring ball. Will Gregory, who rushed for a team-high 691 yards, is not enrolled this semester because of a non-football school issue. John Lister, who earns a bachelor’s degree in May, is expected to transfer to a school that offers a master’s program fitting his interests.
Joey Iosefa will be the primary back this spring.
"I feel lighter and more explosive," said Iosefa, who lost 10 pounds and now weighs 238. He said he did intensive jumping exercises to improve his balance.
Steven Lakalaka has ditched his redshirt status. Marcus Langkilde, the star of three scout scrimmages last year, is built like a fullback (5-11, 220) but will get reps as a tailback. The competition increases this summer when Florida’s Diocemy Saint Juste and Kahuku High’s Aofaga Wily join. Justin Vele is the top blocking back. Dustin Elisara, who was hurt last spring, has not fully recovered from a knee injury. David Fangupo, Kealakehe High’s 335-pound runner, will get a shot at fullback this summer.
Receivers
It took the receivers more than half the season to adjust from the run-and-shoot offense to the pro-set schemes, where they faced tighter coverages. No wideout had a post-catch average of more than 4.1 yards. Chris Gant was the Warriors’ best receiver down the stretch. Billy Ray Stutzmann and Trevor Davis made the greatest improvements during the offseason. Stutzmann completed the 3-cone drill in a team-record 3.91 seconds. Davis gained more than 15 pounds. Duke Bukoski, who redshirted after transferring from Idaho State, is in the mix.
The Warriors signed five receivers, with four at least 6-4. They arrive this summer. "We’ll see who steps up," Chow said.
Scott Harding will focus on playing inside receiver. "He’s mature," Chow said of the former Aussie football pro. "He understands. He has a good feel for football."
Bubba Poueu-Luna has moved from safety to slotback. In the Warriors’ final four games, they ran three-receiver sets more than 60 percent of the time.
Tight ends
A dual-threat tight end is such a rarity that the Warriors recruited one from the defense. Jordan Pu’u-Robinson transferred from Washington State, started his only UH game as a defensive end, then suffered a broken finger that required season-ending surgery. That also ended his stay on defense. Pu’u-Robinson has the build (6-5, 268) to block and the swiftness to get open on short-to-medium routes. "A good tight end is hard to find," Chow said. "We think Jordan is a good tight end."
Harold Moleni, who joined the Warriors after serving a two-year church mission, has improved his strength in the offseason. Craig Cofer benched 380 pounds, best among the on-line tight ends.
Josh Long, a transfer from Riverside College, and Clark Evans are the motion tight ends who can align in the backfield, on the line or wide.
Offensive linemen
Chris Naeole, a Kahuku High graduate who played 12 NFL seasons, was the biggest offseason addition. He brings knowledge and a no-prisoner attitude.
No starting positions are finalized, but the opening line for the first practice is left tackle David Griffin, left guard Mike Milovale, center Ben Clarke, right guard Dave Lefotu and right tackle Leo Koloamatangi. Clarke was selected as the Warriors’ top offensive player last year. Griffin, who transferred from Mesa College in January, has a long reach and nimble feet.
"He’s what you look for in a tackle," Chow said.
Koloamatangi, who redshirted in 2012, gained the equivalent of two large bags of rice and now weighs 285.
"He’s a long-armed guy that you need because of the rush guys," Chow said.
Frank Loyd and Sean Shigematsu are the top challengers at tackle. Kahuku High’s John Wa’a and Scottsdale College’s R.J. Hollis will compete on the perimeter this summer. Kody Afusia, Ben Dew and Chauncy Winchester-Makainai will battle for playing time as interior blockers. Winchester-Makainai benched a team-best 435 pounds this past week. He might undergo a minor procedure following spring ball.
Defensive linemen
It will be a thin green line this spring. Interior linemen Moses Samia, Siasau Matagiese and Calen Friel are recovering from injuries and won’t compete in contact drills. Defensive end Iuta Tepa, a UCLA transfer, also will be held out until training camp because of an injury. Defensive coordinator Thom Kaumeyer supports the cautious approach.
"We don’t want to win spring, we want to get ready for the fall," Kaumeyer said.
When healthy, Samia and Matagiese will rotate at nose tackle and defensive tackle. Friel is a pure nose tackle.
"He’s very athletic and strong," Kaumeyer said of Friel, who has missed two consecutive seasons because of injuries.
Defensive end Marcus Malepeai and second-year freshmen Hunter Thomson and Mike Andrade will practice at the two interior positions.
There are no concerns at the perimeter. Tavita Woodard had a breakout second half to the 2012 season. He will align as a stand-up end. Beau Yap, who filled in at defensive tackle, is back at end. While Yap mostly set up in a three-point stance, he might be used as a stand-up end against read-option offenses.
"Beau not only has great energy, he’s strong and has great fundamentals," Kaumeyer said.
Linebackers
Although the Warriors often opened with a four-man front, they usually transitioned into 3-4 and 3-3-5 alignments. Strong-side linebackers Jerrol Garcia-Williams and TJ Taimatuia are tall defenders who can move up to the edge in odd-numbered fronts.
Weakside linebacker Art Laurel will skip contact drills while recovering from surgery. That should give more spring work to Julian Gener, Lance Williams and Kamalani Alo. Gener, a junior-college transfer, is physical and spunky.
Middle linebacker Brenden Daley was booted from the travel roster after showing up late to a practice last year. He vowed never to be left behind again.
"He always had the physical part, but the mental part happened when he missed the Air Force game," Kaumeyer said. "It turned the light on for him. He became a leader for us."
Benny Fonua, who has recovered from a knee injury, will compete for the starter’s job.
Jonathan Makaiau, a walk-on from Mililani High, is 5-10, but he made several big plays in intrasquad scrimmages last year. "He’s a tough kid," Kaumeyer said.
Defensive backs
The Warriors signed two cornerbacks to replace Mike Edwards, who opted to forgo his senior season and apply for the NFL Draft. Ne’Quan Phillips, Tony Grimes and Dee Maggitt return. Phillips hopes an 8-pound loss will increase his quickness. Grimes has worked on his footwork and identifying schemes. Maggitt was steady in a limited role last year. The sleeper is Brian Clay, who has excelled in the classroom (4.0 GPA in the fall semester) and offseason conditioning. Clay redshirted as a sophomore in 2012.
"We’ll give him a shot at corner," Kaumeyer said. "He’s an aggressive kid."
Last year, the safeties had to make the adjustment from a four-across zone to Kaumeyer’s man-to-man coverages. The scheme calls for safeties to become more involved in defending the run and passes to the flats.
After a slow start, freshman Marrell Jackson finished second with 56 tackles. John Hardy-Tuliau, who also can play corner and nickel, found comfort as a playmaking safety. Charles Clay, a converted receiver, is one of the hardest-hitting safeties. Ryan Pasoquen was the No. 1 nickelback before tearing an ACL in training camp. He’s healthy again.
Specialists
The Warriors will be without last year’s top three specialists this spring. Long-snapper Luke Ingram and punter Alex Dunnachie completed their UH eligibility. Kicker Tyler Hadden is recovering from a hernia procedure. CeeJay Santos, a Baldwin graduate who transferred from Weber State, will handle most of the place-kicking this spring. Yap, the defensive end, will be the long-snapper. Three snappers join the Warriors this summer. Scott Harding will be the punter, punt returner and holder. Chow said Chris Gant will get the first chance at kickoff returner.
