KEALOHA PILARES
position · running back
key stat · rushed for 1,900 and 23 touchdowns in his senior year at Damien Memorial School

4 Leon Wright-Jackson	48 David Farmer	24 Mario Cox

COMPARISONS
Nate Ilaoa was 10 yards short last year of becoming UH’s first 1,000-yard rusher with June Jones as coach. Gary Allen remains Hawaii’s career leading rusher with 3,451 yards. Travis Sims is third with 2,311, and he helped Hawaii to a WAC championship in 1992. Some observers believe Leon Wright-Jackson and perhaps Kealoha Pilares have the talent to join the company of these great players.

POSITIVES

Wright-Jackson was highly touted coming out of high school three years ago. He was a Parade All-American who went to Nebraska, but transferred because the Huskers moved him to defensive back. His high school highlight tape is already legendary among Hawaii fans. He appears to have all the qualities of a big-time ball-carrier, including quick acceleration, strength and cutting ability.

Kealoha Pilares is a shifty, creative runner who also has an impressive collection of YouTube highlights from high school.

David Farmer is a great blocker and arrived in camp in the best shape of his career, but he’s still not much of a threat carrying the ball except in obvious passing situations where he will get plenty of open space. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in savvy.

Mario Cox is a talented athlete who has worked to condition himself. Alonzo Chopp has experience and also toiled hard in the off-season. Jason Laumoli is a converted defensive lineman following the path of Reagan Mauia, who was drafted by the Miami Dolphins.

NEGATIVES

There does not appear to be one all-around back like Ilaoa who can block, run and catch passes at a superb level. With a relatively inexperienced offensive line, whoever plays running back will be asked to block more often than usual, taking away a dimension of the offense.

WES SUAN / RUNNING BACKS COACH

“We’re looking for everybody to be on the same page and then we’re coaching clones. Everybody has got their different athletic ability, but as far as what we want out of assignment, technique, foot patterns, inside-out position and so forth, we want them all to be on the same page. They are all athletic. They are all competitors and they are all coachable.”