Few men are an island.

“Playing corner is one of the toughest positions ever,” said Abraham Elimimian, who coaches the University of Hawaii football team’s cornerbacks. “It’s a tough position, but only tough guys can do it.”

Elimimian is familiar playing on an island — the vernacular for a cornerback’s isolation in defending receivers — as a shut-down corner for the Rainbow Warriors in the early 2000s. In 2003, Elimimian did not allow a receiver he was covering to catch a touchdown pass.

“You’ve got to have a short memory,” Elimimian said, “but you also have to understand, ‘why did that (reception) happen, and how do I get better from here?’”

In his eighth season, Elimimian is the dean of UH coaches. He was on the defensive side for the first six years, including serving as defensive coordinator for the final three games of the 2015 season, before coaching the running backs last year. With Timmy Chang’s hiring as head coach in January, Elimimian returned to coach the cornerbacks.

“When you have experience actually doing something and playing a position, it helps in how you communicate with those guys,” Elimimian said.

UH’s corners will be challenged in Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky at the Ching Complex. Austin Reed threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns in the Hilltoppers’ 38-27 victory over Austin Peay last week. The previous WKU starting quarterback, Bailey Zappe, threw an FBS record 62 touchdown passes in 2021.

“They like to throw,” UH cornerback Virdel Edwards II said. “We’re honing in on the passing game.”

Three players who began their NCAA careers at power-five programs — Edwards (Iowa State), JoJo Forest (Oregon State) and Hugh Nelson II (Georgia) — logged the most snaps in the cornerback rotation last week.

Forest was a surprise starter after missing two key practices last week because of a leg ailment. But through stretching and heat, cupping and deep-tissue treatments, Forest was cleared for last Thursday’s walk-through session. “Our training team was really good,” Forest said of his return to health.

Forest played 54 snaps — 49 at corner — and did not allow a catch in three of seven targets.

Elimiman said Forest’s aggressive coverage was “not a surprise to us. This is a guy who started as a true freshman at Oregon State. The lights aren’t big for him.”

One of Forest’s starts was against UH in 2019. That familiarity led to UH’s interest after Forest entered the transfer portal. “The best thing I like about him is seeing how he competes,” Elimimian said of Forest. “He’s extremely quick. He’s got good speed. He’s got great instincts.”

At 6 feet 2 and 210 pounds, Edwards is a converted safety who has drawn comparisons to 6-2 Kelvin Millhouse, Elimimian’s former UH teammate and roommate.

“Kelvin was long, like Virdel, but Virdel is probably the strongest corner I’ve had in my career as a coach,” Elimimian said. “He has great width, so receivers have to get around him. He’s learned how to use his hands, how to use his feet.”

To improve his speed, Edwards did linear sprints and cone drills during offseason training. Strength/conditioning coordinator Kody Cooke and his staff tightened Edwards’ running form. Edwards also worked extensively on weight training to strengthen his hamstrings.

Elimimian said Edwards also adjusted to the different angles between cornerback and safety. “For him, it was learning the position and how to move within the scheme of the defense,” Elimimian said.

Vanderbilt threw only twice into Edwards’ coverage last week.