2016 Hawai'i Football Fall Camp
Day 1: Into The Fire: Football Opens 2016 Camp With Strong First Day
Day 2: Football Building The Team Behind The Team
Day 3: Shells On And It's Sweet Home Hawai'i For Football Staff
Day 4: Summer Dedication Paying Off As Football Camp Rolls Into Day Four
Day 5: Football's Offensive Line Leading The Drive Into 2016
Day 6: Experienced Outside Receivers Unit Looking For Big Plays In 2016
Day 7: Returning Inside Men Provide Versatility For Football's Offense
Day 8: 'Bows Rise To Meet Challenges
Day 9: Deep, Experienced Running Backs Look To Propel Offense In 2016
Day 11: Cornerbacks Rely On Experience, Depth To Reload In 2016
Day 13: The Combination Of Experience And Youth Strengthens 2016 Safeties
Day 14: Few Questions Exist Among Football's 2016 Specialists
Day 15: H-TV: Defense Bought With Coordinator Lempa's Culture Changes
Day 16: A Variety Of Game-Tested Tight Ends Available For UH In 2016
Day 17: Next Man Up The Mantra For Reloading 2016 UH Linebackers
Day 18: Youth Movement Provides Plenty Of Options For 2016 Defensive Line
 

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HONOLULU – The countdown is trimmed to hours for the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team, who took in the second to last day of practices under first-year head coach Nick Rolovich on Friday. UH takes in one final practice before heading to the airport and are off to Sydney, Australia on Saturday.

"The way that we sit, we don't have just one starter and a couple of backups, we have two or three starters in the group," passing coordinator Craig Stutzmann said. "We have a great family atmosphere, they all compete with each other, but they all help each other out. Couldn't ask for a better group of guys."

Driving the offense, the Rainbow Warriors quarterbacks looked solid in executing the scheme in live drills on Friday, just one day after the starter announcement was handed down by Rolovich. Running 19 days into fall practices, three quarterbacks battled it out deep into camp and held up the determination.

Sixth-year Rodeo, Calif. senior Ikaika Woolsey earned the starting role for the season opener against California next week.

"What set Ikaika apart from the other guys is that he showed he was more comfortable and confident in team settings," Stutzmann said. "He's showed great decision-making, takes care of the football, overall he has more of a calm spirit and he's focused. He's worked to not make too much happen and just play within the system."

Making 19 starts across the last three seasons, Woolsey has completed 294-of-394 passes for 3,589 career yards with 18 passing touchdowns and three on the ground. Limited in his starting role last season behind Max Wittek, Woolsey started 12-of-13 games in the 2014 season.

"We all love him, he's a great leader and he's worked hard," freshman quarterback Aaron Zwahlen said. "Everyone sees that and expects that, it's all about execution."

Woolsey spent the fall battling it out with Zwahlen and sophomore Dru Brown.

"The other guys came into scrimmages and team settings and made some big plays, so it's not that we felt the other guys were weak, we felt that Ikaika was the strongest of the three," Stutzmann noted.

Zwahlen returns from redshirting last season after returning from a two-year church mission in Baltimore, Md. Hailing from Modesto, Calif. and Downey High School, Zwahlen was a highly-rated prep gunslinger, ranked as the No. 11 quarterback in the nation and No. 155 by ESPN. As a senior, he passed for 3,852 yards and 49 touchdowns on 244-of-379 passing.

"Coming off the mission, I had to gain confidence in throwing again after not throwing during that time," Zwahlen said. "Now I've got that confidence and the knowledge of the game, the speed and the reads are all coming back."

Added to the recruiting class well after signing day, Brown has taken to the new UH offense quickly after arriving in Honolulu during the summer.

"Dru has been like a sponge since he got here, he's got a strong arm and he's a baller," Woolsey said.

A proven dual-threat passer, Brown arrived from College of San Mateo, where he finished his freshman year with 1,879 yards and 21 scores on 104 completions, despite operating a triple-option attack. He rushed for six more touchdowns on the year. A qualifier out of high school, Brown passed for 2,301 yards and 22 touchdowns as a prep senior.

"I came in with the mindset to compete and I took everything I could from the coaching and tried to apply it on the field," Brown said.

Although the trio separated themselves early, the Rainbow Warriors are building for the future with four underclass quarterbacks on the roster, working reps in and taking care of business on the scout team.

"We also have some young guys that are pretty special," Stutzmann said. "Talent is one thing, potential is another, but we have both talent and potential with the younger guys. It's going to be interesting to see what happens next spring with the guys in the wings."

Sophomore Beau Reilly is the only returning signal-caller in the group, with a redshirt season and last year as a backup after returning from a church mission in Brazil. He was 23-3 at Valley Center High in California, taking the team to consecutive appearances in the CIF Division IV state championship game.
True freshman Cole McDonald was among those announced in February in the signing class and is a big, mobile thrower out of Sonora High School in La Habra, Calif. As a senior, he threw for 2,313 yards and 19 touchdowns, while running for 1,091 with 10 rushing scores. The latest addition to the roster at quarterback, Cole Brownholtz is among those mentioned in the 2016 picture for his strong arm, coming off his freshman season at Sierra College in a tag-team QB situation. Playing in 10 games and starting four, he threw for 1,385 yards with 12 touchdowns. Rounding out the group, Marshall transfer Kyle Gallup redshirted with the Thundering Herd after throwing for 1,850 yards and 20 touchdowns at Chaparral High School in Colorado.

Saturday is the day for departure, with a 6:00 a.m. practice, breakfast and shove-off for Honolulu International Airport.