On a windy Monday in Northern California, nine former University of Hawaii football players sought to catch the attention of NFL scouts during the Rainbow Warriors’ pro day.
Despite cross winds of up to 20 mph, quarterback Brayden Schager impressed with his arm strength and accuracy at UC Davis Health Stadium on the UCD campus. Former UH, UCD and Sacramento State players shared the combine-like event.
“I guess I’m used to (the windy conditions) with all those Hawaii practices and games in Manoa,” said Schager, referencing the cross winds at the Ching Complex. “It was fun. It was a good experience.”
Among the top UH performances:
>> Cornerback Cam Stone ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds. He also bench-pressed 225 pounds 19 times. “It went well,” Stone said. “My numbers were good.”
>> Wideout Jonah Panoke was the top performer in the vertical jump (361⁄2 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 1 inch). He benched 225 pounds 14 times and also was 5-for-5 catching passes from Schager.
>> Wideout Steven McBride, who was ineligible to play in 2024, had a vertical jump of 36 inches.
>> Defensive tackle Daniel “Sauce” Williams benched 225 pounds 31 times.
“There was a lot of buildup to this one day,” Schager said. “I thought I did pretty well, and I was proud of all our guys. I thought we did a good job and I’m excited to get back to regular football.”
It has been a hectic offseason for Schager, who missed the regular-season finale because of a sprained MCL. After undergoing intensive physical therapy, Schager said, “I’m the healthiest I’ve been in a long time.”
Schager participated in the Jan. 19 Tropical Bowl, which he started, leading his team to a touchdown on the opening drive. On March 24, Schager, who grew up in the Dallas area, was the quarterback during field drills at SMU’s pro day. Receivers coach Keith Williams of the New Orleans Saints called the plays.
On Friday, Schager will participate in the Dallas Cowboys’ pro day for area prospects at The Star in Frisco. The 91-acre property contains the Cowboys’ headquarters and training facility. “It’s pretty cool,” said Schager, who grew up following the Cowboys. “It’s full circle. It’ll be fun to compete there and show them what I can do.”
Stone is set to participate in the Houston Texans’ pro day on April 11. In preparation for the Hula Bowl in January, Stone met with scouts from the Saints and San Francisco 49ers. Stone, who was a cornerback/returner at UH, is viewed as a nickelback at the next level.
Panoke has trained under Kenny Patton, Richard Torres and Marcus Kimura. Panoke said he has worked with Kimura since he was a Saint Louis School freshman. Panoke said his hope is to sign as an undrafted free agent or be invited to an NFL camp. One of his contingency plans is to play in the Canadian Football League.
“I got my passport last week, just in case,” he said.
