Hawaii Football: A new coaching staff offers new hope in 2020
By Zach Bigalke
Returning talent not lacking on defense
Hawaii returns far more defensive talent than offensive productivity from last season’s squad. They are especially strong on the back end, where the secondary returns pretty much everyone of substance besides Ikem Okeke. Look out especially for redshirt sophomore Kai Kaneshiro, who played 10 games last year in a reserve role and tied Okeke for the team lead in interceptions.
The defensive line is undersized, with nose tackle Mason Vega checking in at only 275 pounds and defensive end Derek Thomas tipping the scales at 225 pounds. That could cause some problems in the transition, though both are sound technical players. Vega and Thomas will need to lead an otherwise young group comprised of freshmen and sophomores.
Between the two groups, the linebacking corps boasts solid depth. Darius Muasau will likely line up alongside either or both of Paul Scott and Jeremiah Pritchard depending on what kind of look the defense gives opponents.
Focusing on the new defensive scheme
Speaking of that defensive look, that is something likely to change in interesting ways this year. After the Rainbow Warriors operated a base 4-2-5 last season, Victor Santa Cruz and Jacob Yoro take over as co-defensive coordinators this season and plan to instill a double eagle flex defense — something you might also know by the Desert Storm moniker that graced the Dick Tomey defenses at Arizona in the 1990s.
In many ways, this defense patterns well with the personnel at Hawaii. It looks similar to a 4-2-5 defense, allowing the coaches to implement it without too much difficulty even despite the dearth of practice time.
Will this subtle but significant shift in defensive philosophy help Hawaii improve on that side of the ball after ranking 96th in yards allowed and 98th in points conceded last year? Only time will tell, but the hope is that this defensive versatility will allow the Rainbow Warriors to confound opponents in the Mountain West and beyond.