In preparation for Hawaii’s football training camp, quarterback Bryant Moniz went through his list of things to pack.
"… Hard hat … " Moniz said.
Hard hat?
"I’m coming to work," he said.
For the coaches, business resumes today with meetings.
The first-year Warriors check in Tuesday for the orientation session. Many of the newcomers already took physical examinations as a requirement for enrolling in UH classes this summer.
Wednesday, all of the players on the training-camp roster are required to report. The Warriors will stay in two dance studios through Aug. 19.
The first practice will be held Thursday.
"I’m ready," Moniz said. "You get to concentrate on football all day. And you get three meals a day."
NCAA rules limit the Warriors to 105 players during training camp. The roster may expand Aug. 22, the first day of UH’s fall semester. Two roster spots opened with backup quarterback Corey Nielsen’s transfer to Saint Francis University and linebacker Penitito Faalologo’s decision to delay enrolling until January because of a death in the family. It has not been decided how, or if, their scholarships will be used during the fall semester.
The more pressing matter is developing the offensive line, which lost all five starters, and replacing three of the four No. 1 receivers.
Line coach Gordy Shaw said the Warriors will open with the No. 1 offensive line of left tackle Clayton Laurel, left guard Brett Leonard, center Matagisila Lefiti, right guard Chauncy Winchester-Makainai and right tackle Sean Shigematsu. Shaw said Shigematsu, a second-year freshman, is slightly ahead of Levi Legay, who had opened spring training as the No. 1 right tackle. Jordan Loeffler, also a freshman, is pushing Laurel as the blind-side blocker.
"We have a lot of players who can get it done," Shaw said of the 18 O-linemen in camp, "but some have never done it in (an NCAA) game."
Left wideout Darius Bright, left slotback Billy Ray Stutzmann and right slotback Miah Ostrowski get the first shot at replacing Rodney Bradley, Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares, all of whom are in NFL camps.
There will be three new starters in the defensive secondary to play alongside safety Richard Torres. But cornerback Tank Hopkins was a part-time starter in 2009 before suffering a pelvic injury that prevented him from playing in 2010. And John Hardy-Tuliau, who will compete at cornerback, was last year’s No. 1 quarter, which is a linebacker/nickelback hybrid.
Mike Edwards, who played in eight games at Tennessee as a freshman in 2009, will challenge for a cornerback job. Edwards moved to Hawaii two weeks ago to get acclimated. Last week, he earned an associate’s degree, a requirement for playing this season.