Hawaii football gets ready to begin Chang era in Honolulu

The offense is fine, the defense not so much

Transfers hit this group hard, including safety Khoury Bethley, linebacker Darius Muasau, and defensive lineman Jonah Lu’alu, among others. For a defense that was already in a massive hole, Hawaii football got worse.

Yet, there still were some transfers in, some of which could help. Jojo Falo – a transfer from Nebraska – could be a key depth piece at defensive tackle. Joining him is Arkansas transfer Mataio Soli on the edge, who looks to be an immediate starter. At linebacker, USC transfer Kaulana Makaula could also add depth, and Oregon State transfer Jojo Forest could be Hawaii’s other starting corner.

As for guys still left, it’s a mixed bag. Hawai’i had two interior defensive linemen in Blessman Ta’ala and John Tuitupou. Ta’ala is a talented kid and is an anchor piece inside.

At linebacker, the Rainbow Warriors have a pretty decent duo in Isaiah Tufaga and Penei Pavihi. The duo combined for 82 tackles last season, and Tufaga had 4.5 tackles for loss a year ago.

Hawai’i’s secondary is a great unknown. Former Georgia transfer Hugh Nelson II could play a big role in the defense’s improvement, but other than that, there’s not much to speak of.

While it would be nice if the defense improves, they may have to get worse to get better.