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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Tyler Graunke sits atop the depth chart at QB for UH, but he'll have plenty of competition leading up to the season opener.

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Position battles
heating up

Numerous starting jobs are up for grabs
as the UH football team opens camp

Lots of talk about friendship, camaraderie and helping each other get better will emanate from Manoa as Hawaii football camp heats up in the next few days.

But with an unprecedented number of positions open for competition, the real goal for the Warriors as individuals is beating each other out for starting spots and playing time.

"Certainly, especially on offense there's lots of competition," UH coach June Jones said. "Quarterback, running back, wide receiver. Other than that it's pretty normal. We're a little more set on defense."

UH lost 13 starters, including four-year starters in quarterback Tim Chang, receiver/kick returner Chad Owens, offensive lineman Uriah Moenoa, cornerback Abraham Elimimian and kicker Justin Ayat.

"We have a lot of new players who will compete with veterans coming back (who haven't started)," said Jones, who opens UH's first practice at 4 p.m. today. "Every year it's exciting to see what's out on the field. The young guys have got to grow up fast and they're aware that's part of it."

Jones said he has no self-imposed deadline on when to decide on starters.

"The longer we practice, it kind of clears itself up," he said. "There's no real time frame on it."

Very few positions are locked down. Here are the top five that will feature some of the most intense competition:

1. Quarterback

Second-year freshman Tyler Graunke and sophomore Colt Brennan have become quick friends. The quicker study of UH's playbook will likely get the nod in the season-opening game against USC on Sept. 3.

Graunke (5-11, 179) is smaller than Brennan (6-3, 205), but he has more experience in UH's system, with a full season as a redshirt last year.

Brennan has more on-field experience; he passed for 2,532 yards, 23 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games at Saddleback Community College last year. Graunke hasn't played in a game since 2003, when he set Arizona's state single-season passing-yardage record with 3,372.

Graunke and Brennan are both considered good runners, a skill that might come in handy with an inexperienced group of receivers.

Graunke is No. 1 going into camp, but Brennan is not far behind. Jones said there's a good chance both will play against the Trojans.

2. Defensive tackle

This is a position where UH has often been short-handed. And while there is little Division I experience among the candidates, they are plentiful -- and big.

Defensive line coach Vantz Singletary rattled off six names when asked who his top tackles are heading into camp. No one has a clear lead, he said. They are sophomore Kahai LaCount (6-2, 297), juniors Siave Seti (5-10, 315) and Lawrence Wilson (6-1, 300), and second-year freshmen Fale Laeli (6-1, 296), Clarence Tuioti-Mariner (5-11, 261) and Keala Watson (6-2, 299).

More than two will likely end up playing a lot in a rotation system. Also, the Warriors will play a lot of 3-4 this year, so the player best at going heads up against a center will be valuable.

3. Slotback

All the receiver spots are open, but seniors Ian Sample (5-10, 195) and Ross Dickerson (5-11, 190) have a slightly stronger grip on the wideout positions than do sophomore Jason Ferguson (5-5, 157) and senior Nate Ilaoa (5-9, 240) at slotback. Ilaoa could end up at running back.

Jones has talked up freshman Davone Bess (5-11, 190) all summer, and sophomore Pat Olchovy (5-8, 180) and second-year freshman Ryan Grice-Mullen (5-11, 167) will compete with Ilaoa.

Speedy freshman Michael Washington (5-7, 160) will get a look, too.

Ilaoa was the top recruit of 2001, but has been held back by injuries most of his career.

He hopes to regain the form of 2002, when he caught 46 passes for 532 yards and three touchdowns.

4. Running back

Freshman Mario Cox (5-11, 231), considered a recruiting steal, might play right away. But he will have to learn the blocking schemes, which senior Bryan Maneafaiga (5-8, 184) and junior Kala Latuselu (5-11, 223) have down pat. Ilaoa is also a factor.

Jones said two backs will likely rotate, depending on situations.

5. Linebacker

Freshmen will get every opportunity to earn playing time here, especially since the Warriors are expected to play a lot of 3-4.

Brashton Satele (6-2, 240), Solomon Elimimian (6-1, 220), Richard Kiesel-Kauhane (6-1, 210), Fetaiagogo Fonoti (6-3, 237) and Beltshazzar Fruean (6-2, 185) will challenge veterans, including seniors Tanuvasa Moe (5-11, 210) and Ikaika Curnan (5-10, 221), and sophomores C.J. Allen-Jones (6-2, 204) and Brad Kalilimoku (5-11, 201).

Curnan was the team's leading tackler two years ago, but suffered lingering injuries last year. Moe played well early on, but was also slowed by a hamstring.

Like the receivers, there's no way to predict today who will start Sept. 3.

Honorable mentions

Kicker (freshmen Jeremy Shibata and Daniel Kelly, and junior Nolan Miranda), left cornerback (senior Turmarian Moreland and sophomore Ryan Keomaka), center (senior Derek Fa'avi and junior Samson Satele -- with Outland Trophy candidate Satele moving back to left guard if that allows the best five offensive linemen to be on the field).

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