It was the summer of 2017, between his junior and senior years at Don Lugo High in Chino, Calif., when Khoury Bethley made a promise he would refuse to break. His pledge to become a Rainbow Warrior was solid, despite ensuing offers from other programs.

“I came on my visit to Hawaii, loved it, and just stuck with it,” Bethley said. “It’s been a blessing ever since. I don’t look back at it at all. I’m happy I came here. I’m enjoying living out here and being able to play football, too.”

Bethley was a running back and defensive back at Don Lugo, for which he amassed a combined 4,000 yards and 47 touchdowns during his junior and senior years. After UH offered a choice of positions, Bethley opted for the hybrid safety-linebacker spot. “I was already leaning to defense going through high school,” he said.

In three UH seasons, he has played in all 38 games. As a sophomore in 2018, Bethley led the Warriors in tackles (83) and solo stops (61).

In 2020, Todd Graham’s first season as UH head coach and defensive coordinator, the defensive backs were cross trained to match up against the wide range of offenses. Trent Figg, the associate head coach/defense, said Bethley can play all five positions in the secondary. Last year, Bethley often aligned in the middle, giving him direct routes to help in coverage or rock a ballcarrier.

“I like the versatility of it — being able to move around, blitz, be in coverage,” Bethley said of the hybrid position. “A lot of people who play that position make a lot of plays. That’s kind of what sold me on it.”

Bethley already embraced Graham’s call to help others. Beginning when he was 8, Bethley volunteered to serve meals at Midnight Mission, a shelter at Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Midnight Mission provides clothing, job training and counseling. A million meals are served each year.

“It’s a real humbling experience,” Bethley said. “Sometimes, as a kid, you think you don’t have enough. And then you see people who have absolutely nothing. It definitely was a wake-up call. It just makes you grateful for the life you have, that you have a roof over your head, and the water and electricity in your house are running. And that you have family who love and support you.”

Bethley added: The homeless are great people, honestly. You learn a lot from homeless people. It’s just simple. I treat people the way I want to be treated. If I were in that situation, I would want somebody to help me. Sometimes you just need someone to talk to. A lot of people go through stuff. Just being able to reach out to them, check on them, see how they’re doing, can really go a long way in making somebody’s day.”

SCOUTING REPORT

The Warriors are hopeful of limiting the big plays with improved open-field tackling. Last year, they relinquished 18 pass plays of 25-plus yards and 44 of at least 15 yards. Opponents averaged 12.5 yards per pass completion.

The defensive backs have been cross trained to play multiple spots.

Cornerbacks Cortez Davis and Cameron Lockridge are cover defenders who also blitz. Eugene Ford, Khoury Bethley, and Quentin Frazier are safeties who can mix it up in the box.

Transfers Chima Azunna (Iowa State), Hugh Nelson II (Georgia) and Colby Burton (McNeese State) provide oomph from the safety spots. Kai Kaneshiro and Donovan Dalton are tall safeties with range.