Roll call can be confusing when two players whose names rhyme share a position and four other linebackers have Williams as surnames.  

"It drives me nuts," defensive coordinator Tom Mason said, smiling. 

When summoning Makani (Kema-Kaleiwahea) or Jahlani (Tavai), "I usually call one of them the other one," Mason said. 

The linebacker group also includes Lance Williams, Russell Williams, Pumba Williams and Jerrol Garcia-Williams. 

Austin Slade-Matautia is an outside linebacker, Solomon Matautia plays inside. 

What’s more, outside linebackers coach Kurt Gouveia is the father of linebacker Dalton Gouveia and intern Jeron Gouveia. 

The linebackers are symbolic of the controlled chaos they wish to utilize this season, Mason’s first at UH. He previously was at SMU. 

The linebackers will blitz from all points, with a nickelback serving as a rover contributing to the pass rush. Outside linebackers can align in the flat or in the tackle box; inside linebackers can flex vertically or horizontally. The base employs four linebackers; Mason insisted he can play a fifth. 

"I like to do goofy things," Mason said. "It makes offenses have to plan against it." 

Kema-Kaleiwahea, a Kamehameha Schools graduate who transferred from Arizona in January, and Tavai, who redshirted as a freshman in 2014, are labeled as weakside linebackers with pass-rushing duties. 

"I think both those guys have NFL potential," Mason said. "They’re what you’re looking for from a physical standpoint." 

Lance Williams and Jeremy Castro, who transferred from UCLA in 2013, are the top contenders on the strong side. 

Garcia-Williams, who is considered the most athletic of the group, and Benetton Fonua play the buck, which is the traditional inside linebacker type. 

"He’s just so athletic," Mason said of Garcia-Williams, who missed most of the 2014 season with a knee injury. "He’s 6-3, 240 pounds. He’s your prototype NFL inside linebacker." 

Julian Gener and Simon Poti can play mike linebacker, which is a run-hit position. Mason said Gener has "great instincts. He’s a football guy. He’s undersized. He can run a little bit. He’s athletic. He’s got a knack for playing football." 

Russell Williams, who was named to a junior college All-America first team last year, can play both inside positions. 

Matautia, a 2015 Campbell High graduate, was twice named to the All-State first team as a safety. He was moved to linebacker on the first day of training camp. 

"He was playing safety at 6-2, 230 pounds," Mason said of Matautia. "There ain’t no way he can play safety. He’s got to be a downhill guy. You can either have a very average safety or a great inside linebacker. 

"He’s athletic in space. He’s explosive. He can do a lot of things. That’s what I like." 

Mason said he might use as many as 10 linebackers in a game. 

"We have packages where all of them can play," Mason said. "They’re really picking (the scheme) up really good. They didn’t take long to learn it."