After showing off his ability to stretch the field last fall, Keelan Ewaliko is working to expand his role in a deep Hawaii receiver corps this summer.
A prolific dual-purpose high school quarterback and state sprint champion at Baldwin, Ewaliko emerged as a downfield threat as a slot receiver while taking over kick-return duties in his freshman season with the Rainbow Warriors.
While there remains a part of Ewaliko that misses having the ball in his hands on nearly every snap, he approaches his sophomore season focused on maximizing his opportunities when the ball comes his way.
“He’s shown he’s ready to progress as a player,” UH receivers coach Luke Matthews said Monday. “I think he’s taken a lot of strides from last year. We moved him outside this year and he’s shown he’s got a good understanding of it.
“Last year the experience he got in the games he did play helped him a lot because he’s come out here a more confident player … and it’s showing every day.”
Through the first five practices of camp, Ewaliko has been running with the second unit behind senior Quinton Pedroza at one of the wideout spots, with Marcus Kemp the first-teamer on the other side of the field.
Ewaliko is looking to build on a freshman season in which he caught six passes for 141 yards. His 54-yard catch against Utah State was UH’s longest completion of the season and he snagged a 51-yarder against UNLV on senior night. While he proved himself running down deep throws last season, he’s working to refine his skills as a wideout.
“I was mainly a deep threat (last season); this year I’m getting a lot more reps, learning the offense more in depth, learning the ins and outs of the plays and the adjustments,” Ewaliko said. “Right now I’m second string behind (Pedroza), I have to keep working hard, showing them I know the playbook, I can read defenses and get my shot every now and again.”
Ewaliko figures to get another shot at returning kicks after finishing sixth in the Mountain West Conference last year. He averaged 20.3 yards on 29 attempts and his production on special teams elevated him to second on the team in all-purpose yards with 777, trailing Kemp’s 797.
Ask Ewaliko about that facet of the game and the 2013 state champion in the 100- and 200-meters can’t help but smile.
“It’s a team effort, but for me I’m in my own zone,” he said. “Just catching the ball and running, it’s something else.”
Ewaliko produced those numbers despite feeling “a little heavy.” He said he has put on 30 to 35 pounds since high school and spent the summer looking to shed a few to gain quickness while maintaining his strength.
Ewaliko said the early portion of camp has been primarily review of the spring, when new offensive coordinator Don Bailey installed his up-tempo scheme. His game experiences last fall also have also helped him get up to speed early in camp.
“It’s a crazy atmosphere and it’s kinda scary if you don’t know how to handle it,” Ewaliko said. “So getting in the game and just being able to focus myself and be in the zone really helped me get comfortable with it.”
