Throughout the course of fall camp, HawaiiAthletics.com will provide a breakdown of the 2021 Rainbow Warrior football team, position-by-position, as the team prepares for its season opener at UCLA on Saturday, Aug. 28. 
 
Explosive plays will be the name of the game for the Rainbow Warrior offense this year and the wide receivers will serve as a focal point, whether its catching the ball downfield or freeing their teammates in the open field.
 
"We have plenty of guys who can make plays," wide receivers coach Marcus Davis says. "Our focus is to dominate on perimeter blocking and win those one-on-ones and 50-50 balls."
 
Chief among those game breakers is Calvin Turner Jr. Turner led the team with six receiving touchdowns and had three catches of 70+ yards last year en route to all-Mountain West second-team honors at receiver. He'll continue to line up at a variety of positions for UH and will undoubtedly be a big part of UH's passing attack.
 
"Obviously when you got a guy like that, you want to get the ball in his hands, however you can," Davis says. "With Calvin, we got a guy who can make a house call anytime he gets the ball."

Returnees
 

Wide Receiver	Ht	Wt	Cl	2020 Stats
Aaron Cephus	6-4	200	Sr.	1 rec., 29 yds,
Jared Smart	6-0	190	Sr.	36 rec., 320 yds, 1 TD
Calvin Turner Jr.	6-1	195	Sr.	33 rec., 546 yds, 6 TDs
Zion Bowens	6-1	200	Jr.	5 rec., 29.0 ypc, 2 TDs
Grey Ihu	6-0	175	Jr.	Scout Team
Nick Mardner	6-6	190	So.	11 rec., 188 yards, 17.0 ypc
James Green III*	5-11	175	So.	Played DB in 2020
Jonah Panoke	6-2	185	R-Fr.	11 rec., 95 yds
Koali Nishigaya*	5-8	160	Fr.	2 rec., 36 yds
Dayton Toney	6-1	175	Fr.	Sidelined with injury
Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala	5-10	175	Fr.	8 GP; special teams

                              
                      
    

    
    
   

  
 
 
 


2020 WRs lost: Rico Bussey, Mekel Ealy, Melquise Stovall, Lincoln Victor
*position change

Newcomers
 

Wide Receiver	Ht	Wt	Cl	Hometown (Last School)
Tru Edwards	6-2	200	So.	Shreveport, La. (Navarro College)
Karsyn Pupunu	6-3	195	Fr.	Lahaina, Maui (Kamehameha-Maui)
Jalen Walthall	6-1	165	Fr.	Houston, Texas (Manvel HS)

The Smart Money: Super-senior Jared Smart is back for his third season and is the leader of the group. Smart led the team in receptions last year and gained all-Mountain West honorable mention.  In his two years at UH, he's been a steady force. Smart has caught a ball in all 24 career games at UH with at least three catches in all but two of those contests.
 
Davis says: "His personality rubs off on the whole room. He's highly intelligent guy, he understands how to get open and most of all he's becoming a leader. We all know he's a talented guy, so it's all about taking that next step and he's doing that."
 
Catch Me If You Can: Former track standout Zion Bowens entered the program with a reputation as a burner and he showed Rainbow Warrior fans a glimpse of that speed in 2020. Three of his five catches last year went for 40 or more yards, including a pair of touchdowns in a 70-second span versus New Mexico. Davis says" "He's a guy who can take the top off a defense. He's got blazing speed and can make that home run play."
 
Big-Play Nick: Sophomore Nick Mardner has a penchant for big plays. The 6-6 native of Canada averaged 33.8 yards on his five catches in 2019, one of which was the game-winner against BYU in the Hawai'i Bowl. Last year he was one of just two UH players with a 100-yard receiving game after racking up 147 yards and a touchdown in a win over New Mexico. "The great thing about Nick is he's picked up his urgency," Davis says. "He's really challenged himself this season to take it too the next level and to show all that potential that he has."
 
Well-Stocked: The Rainbow Warriors have a number of players who should also contribute…Jonah Panoke returns for his third season and is among the best pure receivers on the team….Aaron Cephus' provides a big target, particularly in the red zone…Coaches are excited about the development and growth of Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala, a steady player who was a regular on special teams as a true freshman last year.
 
The New Kids:  Junior college transfer Tru Edwards was an NJCAA honorable mention All-American after having a stellar spring season at Navarro College in Texas…he should be a threat with both his speed and his 6-3 frame…Jalen Walthall is a natural route runner who earned first-team all-state honors out of Manvel High School in Texas…he also showcased his elite athletic ability in track and field, capturing the state title in the triple jump with a leap of 50 feet, 4 inches. 
 
Pro Pedigree: Jared Smart's dad, Keith Smart, is a former NBA player and head coach, who is best known for hitting the game-winning shot for Indiana in the 1987 NCAA title game…Tru Edwards' father is Troy Edwards, who was a consensus first-team All-American in 1998 for Louisiana Tech and winner of the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best wide receiver...Edwards, who set an NCAA single-game record with 405 receiving yards against Nebraska, was a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers and enjoyed an eight-year NFL career.
 
Coaches Notes: Marcus Davis begins his first season at UH as the receivers coach…Davis was four-year receiver at Auburn and was selected as team captain for the 2016 squad…the Florida native competed in four bowl games, including as a starter in the 2014 BCS National Championship game…Davis previously served on the coaching staffs at his alama mater and most recently at Florida State.
 
Davis' Last Say: "I love the competitive edge these guys have. There's no need to give them a pep talk. They love each other and they play for each other. We're excited about what we're doing and are ready to make explosive plays."