As the last NCAA football program to begin spring training, the Hawaii players tried to make a strong first impression during Friday’s opening practice.
In the second year of the run-and-shoot offense and 4-2-5 defense, the orientation was shorter and the drills were more precise.
“Your jump-off point is higher,” head coach Nick Rolovich said of the schemes’ familiarity.
With Kondo-inspired enthusiasm, the two-hour practice on the grass field appeared to spark joy.
“I think they’ve been looking forward to this,” Rolovich said. “And you can tell: Is it a chore or is this what you love to do? This is a good lesson for these guys. You’re going to get a job. You’d love to have a job you love because you’ll do better at it. I have a really good feel about who these guys are as people. Their priorities are in the right place, I think.”
The offense appeared to be crisp. Wideout Kumoku Noa, who redshirted in 2018, found unobstructed paths on slants and go routes. Slotback Melquise Stovall, who began his career at California, made an easy transition into the offense. In 2016, Stovall caught the first scoring pass against UH in a game played in Australia. Stovall was at California for two years and at Riverside (Calif.) City College in 2018.
“I’m loving everything,” said Stovall, who enrolled at UH in January. “I’m taking it as it is.”
Stovall said quarterback Cole McDonald was helpful in tutorial sessions and player-organized workouts.
“I try to take (newcomers) under my wing,” McDonald said, “and teach them the offense from my standpoint on what they need to work on, and what they need to expect, and the standard we’re to hold everybody to, and how elite this offense can be.”
McDonald was admittedly antsy during the overnight countdown to the first spring practice.
“I couldn’t sleep,” McDonald said. “I kept waking up. Is it practice yet? Being back on the field with these guys, it’s the time of our lives right now. We might not realize it yet, but we’re going to look back and what we’re going to remember the most is the camaraderie with the teammates and making good friends and just playing ball and having fun.”
McDonald had a breakout season in 2018, throwing for 3,875 yards and 36 touchdowns while compiling the highest efficiency rating (146.55) for a UH starting quarterback since 2010. But he also weathered painful ailments from the opening game. He suffered a torn MCL against Colorado State that limited his mobility for a few weeks. Against San Jose State, he absorbed a hit to his side, which led to internal bleeding.
“It was pretty surreal for me,” McDonald said.
He missed the Oct. 6 game against Wyoming. After returning, each of his remaining 244 passes last season were delivered with discomfort. Now pain-free, he said, “it feels good to be back and healthy, for sure.”
During Friday’s passing session, McDonald completed nine of 10 passes.
Chevan Cordeiro, a second-year freshman, was six of eight.
“It was exciting getting to throw to the receivers and playing against our own defense again,” Cordeiro said.
Cordeiro, who is listed at 6 feet 1, weighed 165 pounds as a Saint Louis School senior in 2017. He bulked up to 180 pounds last year, his first at UH, but lost weight during the season. “I’m in the process of trying to gain more weight,” Cordeiro said.
Rolovich said a few players were held out of practice Friday as a “vacation penalty” for missing an offseason workout to leave early for spring break last week. They will be allowed to participate in drills today.
