The Warrior defense had its ups and downs throughout the 2022 season, but at times, they kept the Bows in the game while the offense struggled. They return a core group of starters and they have added some exciting playmakers to the group with the highlights being Wyoming transfer cornerback Cam Stone and Washington transfer defensive tackle Kuao Peihopa. The Warriors are looking for both of them to be impact players right away.
Leading the defense will be recently named team captain Logan Taylor. Last season, Taylor stepped in for an injured Isaiah Tufaga and finished the year as the team leader in tackles with double digit stops in every game he started. Tufaga returns from injury and will play beside Taylor in the 4-2-5 scheme. The secondary will be put to the test against a talented Vanderbilt receiving core, but this has the potential to be the most talented secondary the Bows have had in a while.
Playing opposite of Stone is returning starter Virdel Edwards II and junior college transfer CJ Williams has locked down the nickelback spot. Peter Manuma was all conference honorable mention as a freshman last season and it sounds like he and Meki Pei have formed a formidable safety tandem throughout fall camp. The Warriors are still waiting to hear from the NCAA regarding the eligibility of defensive tackle John Tuitupou.
It would be a boost to the defensive front if he is granted another season. The thing that the Warriors have lacked in recent years is a pass rush. Jonah Kahahawai-Welch and Andrew Choi will get the first looks on the edge but look for Wynden Ho’ohuli to make an impact after struggling through injuries in his first year after transferring from Nebraska.
Vanderbilt Defense vs Hawaii Offense
In last year’s contest, the Vanderbilt defense set the tone and changed the game by forcing four fumbles and returning two of them for fumbles. While it’s easy to say the ball bounced the right way for the Commodores, you can’t overlook the fact that the speed and physicality of an SEC defense gave the Warriors problems. The Commodores have experience and depth up front with seniors Daevion Davis and Christian James anchoring the middle and Stanford graduate transfer Aeneas DiCosmo starting on the edge. The Commodores were looking for big things out of Miles Capers in 2022 but he was injured in fall camp and missed the season. He makes his return and will also see time on the edge. Capers and DiCosmo will be a tough task for the Warriors first time starting offensive tackles. Former Clemson transfer Kane Patterson looks to replace Anfernee Orji (now with the Saints) and three year starter Ethan Barr has been a steady presence in the middle of the Commodore defense. In the secondary Jaylen Mahoney and De’Rickey Wright are listed as starters at safety, but the competition at cornerback is ongoing.
The Warriors will look to capitalize on an unproven Commodore secondary when they unveil Coach Timmy Chang’s version of the Run and Shoot. The Warriors started the transition to the beloved offense midway through last season and spent the offseason fine tuning the playbook and getting the quarterbacks and receivers on the same page. As Hawaii fans know, in this scheme, the offense goes where the quarterback goes and Junior Brayden Schager will get the nod for the Bows.
Schager has shown flashes, but this is a great opportunity for the Junior to have a breakout season. Jonah Panoke is the only returning starter in the receiving core and will be joined by Kansas transfer Steven Mcbride and redshirt freshman Pofele Ashlock. Chuuky Hines and Koali Nishigaya should also factor into the rotation. One reason I called it Timmy Chang’s version of the run and shoot is because the Warriors will deploy a tight end instead of two slotbacks as we have seen in the past.
Greyson Morgan is listed as the number one tight end on the depth chart but it sounds like Devon Tauaefa has been getting looks as well. Sophomore running back Tylan Hines broke out as a freshman last season and is the best playmaker on the team. He will be used as both a running back and in the slot this season and the Bows will try to get the ball in his hands as much as possible. Senior center Eliki Tanuvasa will have his work cut out for him anchoring an offensive line that he is the only returning starter on. The inexperienced offensive line will be a concern and we will see how they fare in week zero against an underrated Vanderbilt pass rush.
"We're confident in what we're doing."
🗣 Hear from @LoganTaylor_6 and others ahead of our season-opener. #BRADDAHHOOD #GoBows pic.twitter.com/kKLFhzbqTa
— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) August 23, 2023
The last time that Hawaii debuted a new version of the Run and Shoot was under Coach Rolovich in 2018. In that game the Colorado State defense looked lost and the Warrior receivers ran wide open all game long. Cole McDonald threw for 418 yards and 3 touchdowns in a Hawaii road victory. Hawaii was 17.5 point underdogs entering that game and on Saturday, they are debuting a new version of the Run and Shoot and are 17.5 point underdogs…Is Vanderbilt on upset alert? The 2023 football season is here! Let’s go Bows!
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