QUARTERBACK (QB)
DAVID SANDERS / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
Tyler Graunke, shown here near his Tucson home this summer, set Arizona's state high school single-season passing record with 3,372 yards. He lost the UH starting job to Colt Brennan last year, but coach June Jones still has confidence the sophomore can lead his offense.
|
|
Brennan’s far ahead in the arms race
There is no quarterback controversy at Hawaii. But people will always try to stir one up, anyway.
Colt Brennan came into fall camp as the No. 1 guy, by far. He led the nation in passing yards, total offense and touchdowns last season. It will be virtually impossible to displace the junior who threw 35 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions last year.
But that's no knock on Tyler Graunke and it doesn't mean there won't be a role for the sophomore who started the first two games as a second-year freshman in 2005.
Coach June Jones has shown in past years that he's willing to give his first-string quarterback a rest during games, just to give him a different view for a while. It worked successfully with Shawn Withy-Allen and Jason Whieldon in relief of Tim Chang.
Jones said in late July he doesn't expect to play Graunke against Alabama, but things could change.
Two freshmen are third and fourth on the depth chart; Inoke Funaki, who led Kahuku to two state championships, and walk-on William Brogan, who played at another storied program, Canyon High School in Canyon Country, Calif.
Four is the standard number of quarterbacks for most college football teams, but the fewest for Jones -- who once said you can never have too many -- in several years. If someone gets hurt, the former NFL quarterback may have to pitch it around in practice himself to help keep all those hungry receivers fed.
Unit at a glance
2 plays away from being the man
Someday, June Jones may decide Inoke Funaki is just too good an athlete to keep on the Warriors sideline, and he may end up playing another position. But for now, he is Hawaii's third-string quarterback.
The former Kahuku star is one of the team's most well-traveled players. He served a Latter-Day Saints mission in the Dominican Republic from 2002 to 2004.
This summer he spent a longer time than expected on a family vacation in Tonga -- air travel was suspended when members of the Tongan royal family died in a car accident, triggering a state of mourning throughout the island kingdom. The easy-going Funaki shrugged it off as a minor inconvenience.
On the surface, he accepts his backup role the same way. But when pressed, Funaki will admit that deep down he burns to be on the field competing.
And that's how coaches like their reserve quarterbacks -- hungry enough to keep working hard to improve and be ready to go at any time, but emotionally able to accept their station ... for now.