HONOLULU — The Rainbow Warriors are officially back in action.
The University of Hawaii kicked off fall camp on Friday with the first of 20 practices leading up to its season-opener Aug. 24 against Arizona at Aloha Stadium.
“I was pleased with the energy, pleased with the effort,” head coach Nick Rolovich told the team’s website. “We gotta lot of work to do, we gotta get in playing shape, but they gave us a lot today.”
UH has its entire coaching staff back intact and 18 starters. Rolovich said having an experienced squad makes his job that much easier.
“The best thing I saw was (senior) Cedric Byrd taking (freshman) Chance Beyer and coaching him and (senior) Kalen Hicks taking (freshman) Steven Fiso and coaching him up,” he said. “That’s an ownership you like to see in a program and really in your community, when you have people who care about others and are trying to get the team (to be) as best as they can (be).”
Among the losses for Hawaii from last season is star wide receiver and Big Island native John Ursua, who was taken in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Ursua led the nation as a junior with 16 touchdown receptions, was fifth in receiving yards with 1,343 and his 89 receptions were good for sixth in all college football.
Byrd will be looking to fill the void left behind by Ursua’s departure in Hawaii’s high-octane offense. Bryd was the only Rainbow Warriors named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team. He will look to improve upon a year where he caught 79 balls for 970 yards and nine TDs.
Quarterback Cole McDonald is on Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Award watch lists. Last season he threw for 3,875 yards, 36 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, helping lead the Rainbow Warriors to the Hawaii Bowl.
Hawaii is opening the season at home for the first time since 2015. The game is in what is called “Week Zero,” and the ‘Bows are one of just four teams to play during that weekend.
Following the game against Arizona, Hawaii will host Oregon State and hit the road to face a tough Washington team.
A media poll picked the Rainbow Warriors to finish fourth in the Mountain West’s six-team West Division.
