Paraphrasing what was asked and how it was answered:
AJ Swann as the 2 on your depth chart, what went into that? And is that ironclad? For instance, if you’re down a field goal with 2 minutes left and 80 yards to go and Mike’s hurt, do you throw AJ into that spot for his first college action?
(Laughs) “That’s a very specific scenario”
Said it’s “a razor-thin margin" between the top three QBs
Right now, that’s how the depth chart sits
We have confidence in Ken
In the moment we’ll make the decision best-suited to get the outcome they want
But AJ has earned the opportunity to be the No. 2
They expect all three to get better; all three showed ability
DL health
Bapst is “week to week” and is there in Hawaii; called him “doubtful” for Hawaii
Other guys are the same; Devin Lee is showing progress and “will be ready in short order but probably not this weekend”
Davis is out
How do they feel about DL health?
They’ll feel really good once they get those guys back from injury
Their group is thin but tested
Some young players not on the chart could play too
McAllister, Langham have played a lot of football for them and Cecil has played a lot another place
Kevo Wesley has athletic potential
What was the first practice like with tempo and energy?
“It’s an adjustment.
Said Vanderbilt and Candice Lee deserved a compliment for getting them six days early
Monday was a shorter day of work due to the toll the trip took
“But it was spirited”
“Change of scenery was a boost.”
Tuesday is a full day
The move of Wright to anchor and Mahoney to safety, what went into that?
Those two and Taylor are “our playmakers on defense”
They want flexibility on how to move them around and they can each play safety or anchor
“There’s always a negative return of asking guys to do too much so we’ve slotted them maybe where they’re most confident.”
What do they expect from Hawaii?
It’s a challenging place to play
Timmy Chang (HC) “is a Hawaii legend”
Their prep is important
They’re trying to connect their team to the culture and environment to get something out of it other than just football
But they need to be laser-focused at game time and then it’s about self-mastery and finding their highest level
They’ve got a lot of steps between now and then
Hawaii is tough and prideful and has energy around the new coaching staff
“We expect them to come out swinging. … we’ll have to be at our best at the very start.”
They’re ready to play somebody else.
What’s the confidence level like for him compared to the opener next year?
He knows way more about the program
He learned a lot in last season’s opener, much of which didn’t reveal itself until they played that night when they hit adversity
This camp is far different “with respect to dragging the team through camp”
“We’ll find out a lot about this team on Saturday.”
He has to see this “as the opening act” and no matter the result they evolve from there.
The things that give them resiliency (my word, not his) are more built into the DNA of the program
But doing in the moment is a different thing
Question about the OL and youth and is this a growth opportunity?
They had a lot of questions around them in the spring
They had meaningful snaps during the season and made strides last fall
They think their young core “has a chance to be pretty good”
He feels they’ve gelled and are playing at a high level with more chemistry, edge and toughness
Those are great starting points but they don’t guarantee performance
How many can you dress and how many first-year freshmen might play?
They will dress the roster, similar to a bowl game
First-year players on the field, there are “a number that’ll be involved”
On defense, “we won’t play 11 players, there will be upwards of 20 that touch the field, certainly we expect a few freshman to be a part of that.”
Several freshmen will start on special teams
The nature of the team is that they’re young
But their first class in fall camp had a lot of bright spots who can impact winning
They won’t hesitate to use them as best they can
They’ll also take advantage of the 4-game redshirt and so some will play early and perhaps keep their redshirt
“It’s all a matter of how our depth holds up and what our needs are.”
AJ Swann as the 2 on your depth chart, what went into that? And is that ironclad? For instance, if you’re down a field goal with 2 minutes left and 80 yards to go and Mike’s hurt, do you throw AJ into that spot for his first college action?
(Laughs) “That’s a very specific scenario”
Said it’s “a razor-thin margin" between the top three QBs
Right now, that’s how the depth chart sits
We have confidence in Ken
In the moment we’ll make the decision best-suited to get the outcome they want
But AJ has earned the opportunity to be the No. 2
They expect all three to get better; all three showed ability
DL health
Bapst is “week to week” and is there in Hawaii; called him “doubtful” for Hawaii
Other guys are the same; Devin Lee is showing progress and “will be ready in short order but probably not this weekend”
Davis is out
How do they feel about DL health?
They’ll feel really good once they get those guys back from injury
Their group is thin but tested
Some young players not on the chart could play too
McAllister, Langham have played a lot of football for them and Cecil has played a lot another place
Kevo Wesley has athletic potential
What was the first practice like with tempo and energy?
“It’s an adjustment.
Said Vanderbilt and Candice Lee deserved a compliment for getting them six days early
Monday was a shorter day of work due to the toll the trip took
“But it was spirited”
“Change of scenery was a boost.”
Tuesday is a full day
The move of Wright to anchor and Mahoney to safety, what went into that?
Those two and Taylor are “our playmakers on defense”
They want flexibility on how to move them around and they can each play safety or anchor
“There’s always a negative return of asking guys to do too much so we’ve slotted them maybe where they’re most confident.”
What do they expect from Hawaii?
It’s a challenging place to play
Timmy Chang (HC) “is a Hawaii legend”
Their prep is important
They’re trying to connect their team to the culture and environment to get something out of it other than just football
But they need to be laser-focused at game time and then it’s about self-mastery and finding their highest level
They’ve got a lot of steps between now and then
Hawaii is tough and prideful and has energy around the new coaching staff
“We expect them to come out swinging. … we’ll have to be at our best at the very start.”
They’re ready to play somebody else.
What’s the confidence level like for him compared to the opener next year?
He knows way more about the program
He learned a lot in last season’s opener, much of which didn’t reveal itself until they played that night when they hit adversity
This camp is far different “with respect to dragging the team through camp”
“We’ll find out a lot about this team on Saturday.”
He has to see this “as the opening act” and no matter the result they evolve from there.
The things that give them resiliency (my word, not his) are more built into the DNA of the program
But doing in the moment is a different thing
Question about the OL and youth and is this a growth opportunity?
They had a lot of questions around them in the spring
They had meaningful snaps during the season and made strides last fall
They think their young core “has a chance to be pretty good”
He feels they’ve gelled and are playing at a high level with more chemistry, edge and toughness
Those are great starting points but they don’t guarantee performance
How many can you dress and how many first-year freshmen might play?
They will dress the roster, similar to a bowl game
First-year players on the field, there are “a number that’ll be involved”
On defense, “we won’t play 11 players, there will be upwards of 20 that touch the field, certainly we expect a few freshman to be a part of that.”
Several freshmen will start on special teams
The nature of the team is that they’re young
But their first class in fall camp had a lot of bright spots who can impact winning
They won’t hesitate to use them as best they can
They’ll also take advantage of the 4-game redshirt and so some will play early and perhaps keep their redshirt
“It’s all a matter of how our depth holds up and what our needs are.”
