For C.J. Hawthorne, making the switch back to receiver was not as easy as it looks

BY JASON KANESHIRO

C.J. Hawthorne is a big fan of the modern-day cavemen starring in those car insurance commercials, even sporting stickers with their Cro-magnon mugs on the side of his practice helmet.

But he won’t go so far as to say making the transition to wide receiver in Hawaii’s run-and-shoot system is “so easy a caveman can do it.”

“No, no,” he said with a laugh, “it’s definitely a lot harder than that.”

Still, Hawthorne has proved to be a quick study in making the switch from cornerback last year to receiver this season and is being counted on to provide yet another threat to an explosive group of UH pass catchers.

Hawthorne was initially recruited out of junior college as a receiver, was switched to cornerback last year, and moved back to offense in the spring. He started five games at cornerback as a junior, but his quickness and sure hands thrust him into the starting group in Hawaii’s four-receiver offense soon after making the switch.

“I thought it was a lot harder when (the offense) dictated - I enjoy dictating,” Hawthorne said. “I feel way more confident and this is where I started my whole career. I’m back where I feel I have the most confidence in myself.”

With opposing defenses fretting over the return of prolific slotbacks Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins, and wide receiver Jason Rivers, Hawthorne could benefit from the attention the rest of the group demands.

Last season, Ian Sample racked up 690 yards and 10 touchdowns while sharing time with Ross Dickerson at Z receiver. Hawthorne’s speed not only gives quarterback Colt Brennan another threat downfield, but could loosen up the coverage underneath for the slots.

“With him and Jason on the outside, it’s very scary,” Brennan said. “The two guys on the outside are the guys who can threaten the defense and really stretch the field. With him out there it’s going to create more of a threat and really scare defenses.”

If there’s a concern about Hawthorne’s potential, it’s his relative inexperience playing in a system dependent on the quarterback and receivers reading the defense once the ball is snapped.

Comfort in the scheme most often comes with experience. Hawthorne addressed the issue by spending the entire offseason in Honolulu - rather than returning home to Biloxi, Miss., - running patterns and catching passes from the UH quarterbacks in voluntary workouts.

“It takes getting into the offense to really see it,” he said. “Once you can really understand all the reads you’re on your way. If you can learn this offense, you can run anything.”

“There’s been a night-and-day difference as far as how he looks out there and how he understands the offense,” Brennan said.

Along with Hawthorne, sophomore Malcolm Lane had a strong spring and is also pushing for playing time at Z receiver after catching three passes for 120 yards last season.

“We’re both capable, we’re both equally talented and whoever is in there is going to do a great job,” Hawthorne said.