Touted DB Martinez
back at UH for
spring practice

His academics in order,
the Californian will be on
the field Tuesday

A.J. Martinez, a highly regarded prospect who left the Hawaii football team last year due to academics, has returned to the Warriors.

The defensive back from Fountain Valley, Calif., is now in good academic standing and will participate in spring practice, which starts Tuesday.

"June (Jones) is a second-chances coach," defensive coordinator George Lumpkin said. "Hopefully A.J. will make the most of it."

Martinez (6-feet, 180 pounds last year) was an all-state cornerback at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, from where he graduated in 2002. He enrolled at UH the following year, and redshirted in the fall of 2003, practicing with the scout team but playing in no games. Martinez was not on the UH roster last fall as he worked on improving his grades.

Lumpkin said Martinez, who will be a third-year sophomore in the fall, could compete for playing time at cornerback or safety.

Two other defensive backs -- seniors Omega Hogan and Cameron Hollingsworth -- also return to the team for spring practice, secondary coach Rich Miano said.

Both were off the roster and did not attend practice or games for the last several weeks of last season for undisclosed, non-injury reasons.

Hogan was one of the team's better special-teams players and Hollingsworth started one game at cornerback last fall.

Also, Jones confirmed that freshman quarterback Brandon Satcher will transfer to a junior college, but could not comment further.

Satcher played in one game last fall (a 46-28 victory over San Jose State), passing for 23 yards on one completion in one attempt and rushing for 34 on six carries. Satcher also spent several weeks at the end of last season off the team, for an undisclosed personal reason.