Spring football practices run April 4 through May 2 with a schedule of 15 practice dates. HawaiiAthletics.com will run practice reports for each of the practices.

HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warrior football team went back to work in practice No. 10, Thursday morning, taking in their first session on the turf practice field at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Back to helmets and shorts, one deep group that has stood out this spring continued to implement the concepts of offensive coordinator Don Bailey's new attack—the receivers.
 
"I'm excited," receivers coach Luke Matthews said. "We obviously went into spring with a couple of guys out, but just seeing the mental growth and the way these guys have picked up the new playbook, it's exciting."
 
Now in his third season in the program, Matthews is in his second year as receivers coach and is using his playing success to mold the UH corps. As a four-year starter at Utah, Matthews played in four bowl games in a pass-heavy offense, going on to coach the corps as a graduate assistant before head coach Norm Chow tapped him to move to Honolulu.
 
Despite losing two notable contributors in the offseason, in Scott Harding and Donnie King, Jr., the receivers return an experienced nucleus with great depth, sporting a count of 14 on the roster this spring. For UH in 2014, Harding was third on the team in receiving, collecting 457 yards and averaging 13.4 per reception. King, Jr., was fourth in the receiving standings, with 199 yards at a 14.2 YPC average.
 
However, last season's top two pass catchers are back in the fold for 2015. Quinton Pedroza caught 59 passes for 674 yards and three touchdowns, while Marcus Kemp led the team with 797 yards on 58 catches, tallying three touchdowns and a 14.2 YPC average.
 
Pedroza was held out of spring after an off-season surgery, but the open slot has given a chance for the less-experienced players to rise to the occasion, while the more experienced receivers work to make adjustments to the new system.
 
"There's a lot of the same concepts in this offense, but it's about getting the ball out faster and into a playmaker's hands," Kemp said. "The way that this offense is set up, we run fast routes and we get the ball out fast so that we're tiring out the defense before getting tired ourselves."
 
There will be lots of opportunities and several names for contributors have arisen in the spring. Vasquez Haynes comes up immediately. Missing last season due to injury, Haynes showed promise in his sophomore year, collecting 354 yards and three touchdowns off 29 catches.
 
"We all feel like we're going to get the job done," Haynes noted. "Last year was tough as a receiving group, with missing pieces. Once we're all together and doing our thing, I feel like we could be the best receiving group in the country, with the quarterbacks and the offensive coordinator we have. The main thing is just staying healthy, keep working hard and make sure we're doing things the right way."
 
Ammon Barker returns after appearing in all 13 games as 'Z' receiver during his redshirt season, making 10 catches for 162 yards. Saint Louis School graduate Devan Stubblefield will likely see his first action after a fall injury pushed him to redshirt; an all-state selection, he was ranked the No. 6 prospect in Hawai'i and 149th nationally at receiver, racking up 861 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior season. Keelan Ewaliko is back after 12 games played as a freshman at 'X' receiver, accounting for 141 yards on just six catches for the team's best yards per catch average (23.5). He saw most of his action last season as the team's primary kick returner, where he averaged 20.3 yards per return.
 
A reserve a year ago, Duke Bukoski has also drawn notice. As for the youngest of the group, College of San Mateo transfer Andrew Ho has been making some moves and freshman Dylan Collie has drawn rave reviews for his routes and catching ability.
 
In addition, the tight ends group is more actively involved in the passing game as receivers under the new schemes, and they are more than happy with the change.
 
"It's a tight end's dream to be honest," senior Harold Moleni said. "There's a lot more routes for us and a lot more plays designed for the tight end to catch the ball. It's been good for us and we like it. With more passing plays that we run, it's more repetition, running routes and securing the ball."
 
Moleni caught just 10 balls for 74 yards last season, accounting for three scores, as the top returner for a set of four tight ends in the fold.
 
"It's about the receivers, in general, accepting that role and understanding that they're going to be an instrumental piece," Matthews said. "It's always a big component in any offense, but this offense really focuses on guys down the field, guys winning their one-on-one matchups and they just have to understand that, step up and take that on."
 
With all the reps going around in the spring, Matthews recognizes he and Bailey might have a fortunate problem in the fall.
 
"It's going to be a battle and there's no way to just sit back, look at the board and say, 'Oh he should be a one right now'," Matthews commented. "That's how it should be, because come game time, we're going to see who's playing the best and we'll be able to have guys to choose from and also rotate."
 
Hawai'i football heads to Aloha Stadium for the first time this spring Friday night, putting in a closed practice at the fall home of the Rainbow Warriors to finish up the practices for the week.