The H-Men produced two linebackers last year -- graduated warriors Jeff Ulbrich and Yaphet Warren -- who led the team in tackles, amassing a staggering 273 between them.
Despite their notable absence, Professor J isn't overly concerned with the other half of his front seven. He firmly believes that starting linebackers Robert Kemfort, Rinda Brooks and Anthony Smith will more than fill the shoulder pads of the dearly departed Ulbrich and Warren.
But what he needs is their kind of leadership in the huddle. When the aches and pains of a three-hour game begin to wear on the minds of the combatants, somebody has to grab the group by the face mask and give it a good tug.
Brooks may be that man.
A forgotten commodity when Professor J moved to the head of the class, Brooks' career appeared to be over because of too many blows to the head.
Professor J showed him the retirement door and promptly forgot about Brooks. But Brooks didn't forget about the H-Men. Last year's WAC title run left him hungry for one more season.
He had to petition to the NCAA for a sixth season, but when Brooks got it, it didn't take long for Professor J to hand him off to new defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa and say, "Look what I found for you."
If Brooks stays healthy, he could follow right in the foot steps of Ulbrich. Kemfort and Smith will certainly lend solid support. Kemfort finished with 57 tackles last season. Smith added 43 of his own.
"And we've got some depth back there," linebacker coach George Lumpkin said. "This is a very deep and potentially talented group."
The leader of the second tier is sophomore Pisa Tinoisamoa. Professor J recently pointed out that Tinoisamoa was all he was cracked up to be coming out of high school as one of the nation's top 100 recruits. Other top backers include Joaquin Avila, Lonnie Williams and Keani Alapa. They are part of a front seven that should help keep things close for Professor J's H-Men.
"If we can avoid some of the nagging injuries that have bothered us some in fall camp, I look for this group to be a good one," Lempa said. "We have good size and quickness in the front seven. We want it to be difficult to run on us consistently."
Last year, Hawaii yielded 186.7 yards a game on the ground. That resulted in Hawaii finishing No. 92 nationally vs. the rush, a figure Lempa believes he can improve.
At these positions
| NO. | PLAYER | HT. | WT. | CL. |
| LEFT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER |
| 26 | ROBERT KEMFORT* | 6-3 | 224 | SR. |
| HOMETOWN: HALIIMAILE, MAUI |
| 9 | BRONSON LIANA | 6-1 | 210 | FR. |
| HOMETOWN: WAIANAE |
| MIDDLE LINEBACKER |
| 1 | RINDA BROOKS* | 6-0 | 245 | SR. |
| HOMETOWN: HOUSTON |
| 10 | PISA TINOISAMOA | 6-1 | 255 | SO. |
| HOMETOWN: VISTA, CALIF. |
| RIGHT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER |
| 11 | ANTHONY SMITH* | 6-2 | 222 | SR. |
| HOMETOWN: HONOLULU |
| 46 | KEANI ALAPA | 6-0 | 224 | FR. |
| HOMETOWN: KAAAWA |
* Denotes starter
