2017 Hawai'i Football Fall Camp Coverage | For more, visit @HawaiiFootball on Twitter
Day 1: Rainbow Warriors Open Fall Camp Hungry to Prove Themselves
Day 4: Brown Provides Stability at Quarterback in 2017 Offense
Day 7: Linebackers Unified Around Experienced Core
Day 8 (Aug. 5): Warriors Gunning for Greater Offensive Improvement in 2017
Day 9 (Aug. 7): Wide Receivers/Tight Ends Preview
Day 11 (Aug. 9): Secondary Preview
Day 14 (Aug. 12): Special Teams Preview with Coordinator Mayur Chaudhari
Day 15 (Aug. 14): Running Backs Preview
Day 16 (Aug. 15): Defensive Line Preview
Day 18 (Aug. 17): Offensive Line Preview
Day 19 (Aug. 18): Defensive Preview with Coordinator Legi Suiaunoa
Day 20 (Aug. 19): Fall Camp Concludes

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i football team made its way to Cooke Practice Field on Thursday morning for the seventh of 26 fall practices leading up to the season opener at Massachusetts on Aug. 26. For the second consecutive day, there was a noticeable surge from the defensive side of the ball.
 
At the core of that surge is the linebacker corps, which enters 2017 as one of the most experienced units on the defensive side of the ball. With 12 linebackers returning from a year ago, the group has earned 54 starts with 163 games of experience. Two full-time starters return from a year ago and all but one (of five) players who started at WILL linebacker are back this year.
 
"Experience is always a good thing, being in big games always helps," linebackers coach Sean Duggan noted. "You're hopefully less nervous, you've been there before. The guys are just working hard, it's all about getting better every day. That's what these guys are doing."
 
The Warrior linebackers have been in some big games with plenty returning from a group that played Cal in Australia, anchoring a defense that made a key stop with the game on the line to beat UMass and become bowl eligible, later producing crucial fourth-quarter stops to quell the vaunted Middle Tennessee offense in the Hawai'i Bowl.
 
"My group's got a lot of what I'd like to call personality," Duggan said. "They keep practice fun, they keep people engaged…You've got to play defense with intensity, you've got to play defense with a swagger, you've got to have a confidence about you. You can't go through the motions on defense. We try to bring that as far as coaches and hopefully that carries over to the players."
 
Leading the group as a two-year starter is Inglewood, Calif. junior Jahlani Tavai, who was selected as a first team all-Mountain West pick last year and received the Preseason all-MW nod while representing UH at the MW Media Summit in July. In addition, Tavai has earned a spot on the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Awards – both presented to the nation's top defenders. Last year, Tavai topped the MW with 19.5 tackles-for-loss, while his 129 total tackles tied for eighth most in UH program history. Not to mention he collected seven sacks and interception, two forced fumbles and two recoveries while anchoring the Rainbow Warriors in all 14 games at the MIKE linebacker.
 
"He does a good job of coming out to work every day," Duggan said. "He kind of sets the tone in our room. The guys look up to him and when they see him doing, they say 'I want to do the right things'. He does the best he can and other guys do the best they can. It's a unit, it's not one guy."
 
Flanking Tavai at SAM in 13 games was Carson, Calif. junior Malachi Mageo, who had 78 total tackles, including two sacks and 7.5 for loss. On the opposite side at WILL, the Warriors saw a shift throughout the season, but the most frequent starters return in 2017 – Elk Grove, Calif. senior Russell Williams, Jr. and 'Ewa Beach sophomore Solomon Matautia, who accounted for nine starts on the year. Williams, Jr. tallied 46 tackles, with 5.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. Matautia added 22 stops with 3.5 for loss.
 
Coupling quality of incoming talent and replacement of two long-term starters, last year's linebacker corps provided opportunity for the younger 'backers to see the field early. Freshmen Jeremiah Pritchard (Leone, American Samoa) and Ikem Okeke (Las Vegas, Nev.) each played in 11 contests. Pritchard made two starts on the outside, putting up 31 tackles with 3.5 for loss and a forced fumble. Okeke saw his time increase down the stretch, starting the Hawai'i Bowl at WILL, logging nine tackles and a forced fumble on the year, making one sack.
 
The reserves have made offseason progress and Rashaan Falemalu is starting to make some noise for the unit. A Hau'ula sophomore, Falemalu played in seven contests on special teams after recovering from a 2015 injury, after coming from the state championship teams at Kahuku High School. After making a five-game stint at safety in 2016, Honolulu junior Tumua Tuinei returns to the corps. Bedford, Texas junior Dany Mulanga added 10 tackles as a reserve last season. The linebackers also are bolstered by the return of La'akea Look (So., Waipahu), Max Broman (Sr., Draper, Utah) and Dalton Gouveia (So., Mooresville, N.C.).
 
Freshmen Penei Pavihi and Paul Scott were highlights of the 2017 recruiting class and have fared well early in camp. Coming out of Pago Pago, American Samoa and Tafuna High School, Pavihi was the American Samoa High School Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year and rated as the No. 3 prospect from A.S. Hailing from Oakland, Calif. and McClymonds Senior High School, Scott rated as 17th-best OLB in the West and 10th in the state. Returning from Pima Community College in Ariz., Kahalu'u junior Kana'i Picanco 128 tackles, four sacks and 12.5 tackles-for-loss across two seasons, leading PCC in tackles as a sophomore.  Mililani junior KK Padello joined the unit after playing one year at Southern Oregon.
 
"Knowing how to practice and how to do things the right way on and off the field, that's where we've seen the biggest growth, in leadership and practice habits," Duggan noted.
 
The Rainbow Warriors close up the second week of practice with a scrimmage on Saturday morning (7:30 a.m.) on Cooke Practice Field. Coach Nick Rolovich has opted to provide the players an additional day off this week, canceling Friday's practice.