With all 2018 spring practices and spring game in the books, below are five conclusions I took away.
(1) There is still no #1 QB. This one is very obvious, even to people who haven’t attended any practices. The offense is still adjusting to the newly implemented Run & Shoot, and the QB with the most FBS experience (Cole McDonald) only played a handful of snaps last season as a redshirt freshman. While the first two seasons under Nick Rolovich had blended run-pass-option concepts with some RNS or four-wide schemes, the offense became the “Diocemy St. Juste quest for a UH single-season rushing record” for most of 2017.
McDonald and Jeremy Moussa had the lion’s share of the QB work during the spring game. McDonald showcased his dual-threat qualities, scrambling on a couple of plays, while Moussa made some throws for good yardage. Personally, McDonald appears to be in the lead. Aside from his (limited) FBS appearances, his scrambling and speed is more likely to keep defenses honest – and perhaps freeing up our receivers more if they place a spy on McDonald.
Seemingly lost in the shuffle were Justin Uahinui and Larry Tuileta, the latter barely getting in any work this spring as he finished up his UH volleyball career. Tuileta is scheduled for more volleyball this summer, but will rejoin the team for the upcoming season. Kolney Cassel and Chevan Cordeiro will have their opportunity this summer.
(2) Cedric Byrd may be the real deal. I was excited when he signed a few months ago, but wanted to know how he would fare once he got to Manoa. Apparently, Byrd has thrived. Both coaches and observers praised him for making many dynamic plays during spring practice, usually on connections with McDonald. I’d personally have Byrd as a lock to start in the slot opposite or next to John Ursua. In the past, we’ve had Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins, then Kealoha Pilares and Greg Salas. Could Byrd and Ursua be the next tandem?
Speaking of Ursua, he was recently interviewed, and he should be back in the summer. For any new UH fan or for people living under a rock the past six months, Ursua is recovering from a torn ACL sustained last October.
(3) The defensive coach hires are paying off so far. Rolovich basically overhauled his defensive coaching staff (aside from Abe Elimimian), hiring a veteran defensive staff after going the first two seasons with a largely inexperienced group. It’s also fortunate to have at least two defensive coaches (Corey Batoon and Mark Banker) with DC experience. I was shocked when we were able to land both of them.
I’m enjoying reading about defensive coordinator Batoon’s vision of multiple schemes. This reportedly includes odd-man and even-man fronts, stunts, sub-packages with rovers and nickels, and a lot of movement. Defensive lineman Zeno Choi, in particular, is a big fan. He would otherwise be considered undersized (280 lbs) for an interior defensive lineman. But the movement and stunts should allow Choi to make an impact.
Based on clips seen from the spring games, there were at least two interceptions by the defense, one by Damario McLean and another by Kalen Hicks.
But it’s also about moving people to their seemingly more natural position. Manu Hudson-Rasmussen, who played cornerback last season, may be better suited for his new nickel/rover position. Hicks, who was the rover last season, has moved full-time to one of the starting safety spots. Ikem Okeke’s possible move to safety (where he briefly played at in high school) should get him on the field more in Batoon’s defense. There are still several guys competing at corner, so I hope at least one of them has a breakout year.
(4) The offensive line remains a work in progress. This can be looked at with the glass half-full or half-empty. OL coach Mark Weber had a patchwork line to coach this spring, with four linemen lost due to graduation or medical retirement.
Asotui Eli, Kamuela Borden, and Micah Vanterpool have practiced at tackle. J.R. Hensley, Joey Nu’uanu-Kuhi’iki, and Emil Graves are among the players rotating at guard. Taaga Tuulima and Eli would currently be the choices at center.
At least six offensive linemen join this summer, so more will be known in August.
(5) The shovel pass is back. Granted, Rolovich used the shovel pass sporadically the past two seasons, but it was usually ineffective. Then I saw this in the spring game clips:
Yup, shovel pass to Dayton Furuta for a significant gain.
Nate Ilaoa was one of the backs who benefited greatly from the shovel pass. Now big backs and speed backs alike may have more room to run in an offense designed to spread the field out.
Aaron Loves Hawaii Football 