These days, University of Hawaii safety Khoury Bethley is not a football idle.

He attends online classes, conducts sessions as an appointed peer mentor and grinds through the Rainbow Warriors’ strength/conditioning program.

“Just controlling what we can control right now,” said Bethley, a junior from Chino, Calif. “That’s the biggest thing. And doing workouts, finding ways to stay active. That way when we do come back and back into the swing of things, it won’t be a hard transition.”

Three months after Todd Graham was hired as UH’s head coach in January, the Warriors’ spring training was canceled because of the pandemic. The Warriors resumed workouts in July, even adding walk-through sessions as part of the training. But in early August, just before the Warriors were to open training camp, the Mountain West postponed the fall-sports seasons. Leaders of the Mountain West, of which UH is a football-only member, are meeting this week to discuss the possibility of resurrecting the football season beginning in late October or early November.

Until a decision is reached — or not reached — the Warriors, according to Bethley, are focused on staying healthy and fit.

“We all have been encouraging each other and inspiring each other to be great and not just sit down and not do anything,” Bethley said, “but using this time to elevate us physically and mentally. Just always challenging each other and everyone around us.”

Bethley spent the early part of the summer staying at an aunt’s house in California. “We had no access to weights,” Bethley recalled. “I would find anything I can use.”

He said he did squats while carrying a pack of 40 bottles filled with water. He also jumped rope, hop-scotched on rope ladders, ran and cycled up hills. He also performed calisthenics he found on YouTube.

“Definitely switched it up,” Bethley said. “Nobody was expecting this at all. Finding different ways to stay in shape has been hard. But we’re capable of doing it.”

Back in Hawaii, roommates Jonah Laulu, Justus Tavai and Solo Vaipulu have pushed Bethley in his training. Bethley has played in all 29 games of his UH career, but not without aches. He missed the 2019 spring training because of an injury. But Bethley started 12 games last season and led the Warriors with 83 tackles and 61 solo stops.

“I was banged up all last year,” Bethley said. “My No. 1 goal was to get healthy. Having this extra time with the season pushed back has definitely played a big role. I was able to get back to 100%. That was huge. This offseason, my goal is to get more cut up and lean out a little bit, and get faster and stronger and quicker in my change of direction. I felt having this time to rehab, I’ve made some big gains. I have some more work to do.”

Bethley is expected to have expanded duties in the new war-dog defense, an attacking scheme that utilizes swarming tacklers and all-points blitzes. Bethley will be used in coverage and as an in-box safety. “My role this year will be playing pretty much everywhere,” said Bethley, who is 5 feet 10 and 200 pounds.

Bethley also has relished his role as a mentor, as well as his involvement in addressing social-injustice issues. He has participated in peaceful marches in Hawaii.

“It was a beautiful thing to see people come together and stand for something that we need change for immediately,” Bethley said. “Seeing it in a peaceful way and all the different ethnicities coming together and being vocal about it, speaking up about it, they’re all conversations we need to have. I feel it was very powerful and moving.”