VIDEO: Offensive Coordinator Lee on the Offense |
VIDEO: Defensive Coordinator Kaumeyer on the Defense
Outlook Part #1: Quarterbacks |
Outlook Part #2: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends |
Outlook Part #3: Running Backs |
Outlook Part #4: Offensive Line |
Outlook Part #5: Defensive Line |
Outlook Part #6: Linebackers |
Outlook Part #7: Secondary |
Fall camp is underway for the University of Hawai'i football team and its season-opener at USC is less than a month away. HawaiiAthletics.com will breakdown the 2012 Warrior football team, position-by-position. Today's eighth and final feature is the secondary.
VIDEO: Coach Demarest on the Special Teams
Starters Returning:
Alex Dunnachie (P),
Tyler Hadden (PK),
Luke Ingram (LS),
Mike Edwards (KR),
Scott Harding (PR)
Starter Lost:
Kenton Chun (PK)
Redshirts:
Samson Anguay (PR),
Chris Gant (KR)
The special teams unit should be one of the team's strengths this season. All three key players return in placekicker
Tyler Hadden, punter
Alex Dunnachie and long snapper
Luke Ingram in addition to kickoff returner
Mike Edwards and punt returner
Scott Harding.
Hadden, a sophomore from Whittier, Calif., shared placekicking duties with
Kenton Chun last season although Hadden had the stronger leg and was used for long field goals and kickoffs. Struggling with a hip injury, Hadden converted 18-of-21 PATs and converted five field goals, including a long of 47 against Idaho. He also had two touchbacks.
Dunnachie, a senior from Heidelberg, Australia, may be the team's top NFL prospect. Over his career, he boasts a 40.7 yards-per-punt average with 14 punts over 50 yards. While emphasizing on longer hang times last season, he helped UH lead the country in fewest opponent punt returns (4). Due to an off-the-field incident, Dunnachie has been suspended indefinitely from game participation and the amount of games he will miss has not been determined.
Perhaps the most under-appreciated position on the team is long snapper. Over Ingram's career, the senior from Mililani, O'ahu, has snapped the ball over 400 times on PATS, field-goal attempts and punts, and he has failed to produce one bad snap.
UH's electrifying return unit welcomes back both starters in Edwards and Harding.
Edwards, a junior from Cleveland, Ohio, helped the Warriors rank No. 1 in the WAC in kickoff-return average by averaging 24.7 yards per return. Redshirt junior
Chris Gant will also push for playing time.
Harding, a former professional Australian Rules Football player, picked up American football rather quickly, earning first-team Freshman All-America honors after averaging 7.4 yards on 19 punt returns.
A year ago, redshirt freshman
Samson Anguay was penciled in as the starting punt returner heading into fall camp before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
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