HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i football team opens spring camp this week on the UH-Mānoa Lower Campus. The Rainbow Warriors will conduct the first of 15 practices on Thursday, March 25 as the team begins preparation for their 2021 campaign. Spring training will conclude on Friday, April 23 with the annual spring game.
 
Head coach Todd Graham enters his second season and returns 21 starters from a team that concluded 2020 with a win over Houston in the New Mexico Bowl. Graham also welcomes back the majority of his coaching staff with two new additions in Marcus Davis and A'Lique Terry.
 
A total of eight starters are back on offense, headlined by all-Mountain West honoree Calvin Turner. The senior transfer has proved to be one the program's most electrifying players in recent memory, carving up opposing defenses as a running back, receiver, wildcat quarterback and kick returner to the tune of a team-high 11 touchdowns in 2020. The Savannah, Ga., native is the nation's leading returnee in career all-purpose yardage (4,359).
 
Also returning on offense is sophomore quarterback Chevan Cordeiro who earned all-MW honorable mention last year. The Honolulu native not only tossed for 2,034 yards and 14 touchdowns, but also led the team in rushing yards (483) and rushing touchdowns (7). Other key contributors include receiver Jared Smart, the team's receptions leader in 2020, and six returning offensive linemen, who have a combined 123 career starts, including three-year starters Ilm Manning (34) and Solo Vaipulu (32).
 
The defense, meanwhile, remains virtually intact. Seventeen different players started at least one game last season and all 17 are to wreak havoc in Graham's War Dog defense. Spearheading the defense is one of the premier linebackers in the country in Darius Muasau, who enters his third season as a Rainbow Warrior. The sophomore from 'Ewa Beach, O'ahu was named to the all-MW first team and was a Phil Steele honorable mention All-American after finishing fifth nationally in tackles per game (11.8). 
 
Cornerback Cortez Davis, a second-team all-MW honoree, headlines the secondary that also returns starting safeties Khoury Bethley and Kai Kaneshiro. Team captain Eugene Ford, who started the season at safety but missed most of the season due to a knee injury, also returns along with nose tackle Blessman Ta'ala. The duo has the most career starts on the defense with 26 and 34, respectively.
 
Specialists Matthew Shipley (placekicker) and Adam Stack (punter) are also back for the Rainbow Warriors after each started at their respective positions in 2020. 
 
Due to current University safety protocols, practice is closed to the public.