UH ranked No. 24

The Warriors receive a spot in a preseason poll for the first time in program history

Ben Yee has been waiting for this his whole life as one of the biggest University of Hawaii football fans.

Yee, a vice president of Na Koa, the Warriors football booster club, and a UH booster the past 38 years, is overjoyed his team is receiving unprecedented national attention. Yesterday it was revealed Hawaii is ranked in the preseason for the first time in school history, No. 24 in the coaches' poll administered by USA Today.

"Honestly, this is what I've dreamed of happening with this program. This is the biggest ever. The hype is on," Yee said. "It was pretty big in 1992, but this is magnified."

And the Warriors haven't even played a game yet.

They were scheduled to open practice today, at 9:30 a.m. at the grass practice field on campus.

Coach June Jones knows expectations are high, and so do his players.

Their job is to remain focused despite all the attention. That's the only way they can successfully navigate a 12-game schedule in which every game is winnable for a team that went 11-3 last fall.

Tomorrow's Star-Bulletin will include expanded coverage of the first day of practice.

Today, a unit-by-unit look at the Warriors as fall camp begins.

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Before practice even began, the 2007 Hawaii football team made program history. UH enters the season ranked in a national poll for the first time, No. 24 in the coaches' survey released today.

The Warriors begin fall camp today with the intent of proving coach June Jones' colleagues right ... or better yet, that their estimate is conservative. Hawaii went 11-3 last season, finishing ranked in the same spot -- 24th -- in the same poll.

Starting in the rankings is key to UH's chances to move up high enough in the national consciousness to earn a spot in a BCS bowl game -- assuming it does its part on the field and wins all 12 games of a relatively easy schedule. The coaches' poll is part of the formula used in the BCS rankings.

But one of the teams standing in UH's way accomplished last year what Hawaii wants to do this season. Boise State went unbeaten and commanded enough respect to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos beat Oklahoma and finished the season No. 6 in the coaches' poll and No. 5 in the Associated Press media rankings.

Boise State enters 2007 at No. 23, but an underdog to Hawaii in the Western Athletic Conference race, according to WAC coaches and media covering the league.

One of Jones' biggest jobs this year is to keep his team focused amid the unprecedented hype. That task begins in earnest today.

"We're excited about the team we have coming back. We lost some really good players, since we had five guys drafted and seven others signed (by pro teams). You lose that many and sometimes you're very concerned," Jones said. "We have some players returning who can replace those players. The thing that concerns me most is the leadership of some of the ones we lost, those things in the locker room, those intangible things that sometimes are the difference between winning and losing."

Quarterback Colt Brennan, left guard Hercules Satele, defensive tackle Mike Lafaele and safety Jake Patek showed a lot of leadership in the offseason in leading voluntary workouts.

The best battles for starting positions will be at running back, right guard, defensive end and the safety spot not sewn up by Patek.

Here is a quick unit-by-unit look at the Warriors' top players as they officially begin fall practice today:

Quarterbacks

Top of the chart: Colt Brennan, Tyler Graunke, Inoke Funaki

Sleeper: Jake Santos probably won't get to play much this year, but he's got lots of talent.

Skinny: Brennan was sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting last year after an incredible season, including 58 touchdown passes. But as Jones points out all is not necessarily lost if he can't play for some reason.

"Our backup quarterback, Tyler Graunke, is a very good player. His (completion percentage) stats were actually better than Colt."

Running backs

Top of the chart: Kealoha Pilares. Leon Wright-Jackson, David Farmer

Sleeper: Alonzo Chopp knows the playbook as well as anyone and has gotten down to a viable playing weight.

Skinny: Replacing Nate Ilaoa will likely be done by committee early on, unless Pilares or Wright-Jackson displays exceptional blocking moxie to go with their natural running skills.

Offensive linemen

Top of the chart: Keoni Steinhoff (LT), Hercules Satele (LG), John Estes (C), Larry Sauafea (RG), Keith Ah-Soon

Sleeper: Aaron Kia is poised to move into almost any position needed up front.

Skinny: The tackles need to prove they are ready for the play-after-play pressure of holding off defensive ends intent on stopping -- or knocking out -- Brennan.

Receivers

Top of the chart: Jason Rivers (WR), Davone Bess (SB), Ryan Grice-Mullins (SB), CJ Hawthorne (WR)

Sleeper: Slotback Mike Washington is ready to start; there's just no room yet.

Skinny: The nation's most productive trio of receivers returning from 2006 is joined by Hawthorne, whom Jones calls potentially the best deep threat of the bunch.

Defensive linemen

Top of the chart: Amani Purcell, Karl Noa, Josh Leonard, David Veikune (ends), Mike Lafaele, Keala Watson, Fale Laeli (tackles)

Sleeper: Coaches and teammates say Noa is poised for a huge year.

Skinny: The move to the 4-3 defense allows the linemen to get more involved in blitzing and blowing up running plays behind the line. There is plenty of depth here despite losing two starters to the NFL.

Linebackers

Top of the chart: Adam Leonard, Blaze Soares (outside), Solomon Elimimian (middle)

Sleeper: Brad Kalilimoku will play plenty, according to defensive coordinator Greg McMackin and linebackers coach Cal Lee.

Skinny: One of UH's most talented position groups is also deep, with nine-game starter Micah Lau in reserve.

Defensive backs

Top of the chart: Myron Newberry, Gerard Lewis (CB), Jake Patek, Keao Monteilh, Desmond Thomas, Erik Robinson (S).

Sleeper: Guyton Galdeira caught McMackin's eye as a nickel back in spring practice.

Skinny: JC transfer Calvin Roberts may challenge at a corner spot when he arrives next week. Everyone will get a look at the spot next to Patek, especially Robinson -- a brutal hitter with speed.

Special teams

Top of the chart: Dan Kelly (K), Tim Grasso (P), Jason Rivers (KR), Davone Bess (PR), Jake Ingram (snapper).

Sleeper: Bess, as a punter, if newcomer Grasso doesn't pan out.

Skinny: This is an area UH must improve at if it is to upend Boise State.