Spring Day 3 Wrap-Ups, Update: Video

Stephen Tsai profiles defensive tackle Haku Correa.

"There's always been a playfulness about him that's really turned into a sinister, aggressive attitude," defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. "That's good. That's what we needed. I'll take all of those type of guys on defense."

Correa, a Damien Memorial School graduate, was part of head coach Greg McMackin's first recruiting class in February 2008. He redshirted that year, then played all of 2009 despite a torn pectoral muscle.

Entering the spring semester, Kaniela Tuipulotu, a transfer from Arizona, was projected to be the No. 1 defensive right tackle. But that was before Correa, at the advice of his older brother, began receiving his daily dose of iron.

"I hit the weight room every day," Correa said. "Even when it wasn't mandatory to be there, I was in there, pushing it, doing my best."

Tsai also writes about the emergence of Paipai Falemalu as the team's best pass-rusher and run defender, and takes a look at the battle between Royce Pollard and Billy Ray Stutzmann at right wideout.

Jason Kaneshiro profiles outside linebacker Aaron Brown and takes a look at the linebacking corps overall.

Brown was expected to bolster the secondary as a safety when he arrived in Manoa last summer. But he was shifted to outside linebacker during fall camp to utilize his strength at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds while adding speed to the unit.

The hamstring led to the redshirt and he spent the rest of the season letting it heal while learning the schemes primarily through observation and film study.

"It was a little tough," Brown said. "(The field is) like my second home, so it's tough to watch all your brothers come out here and perform and that's all you want to do, come out and compete."

Brian McInnis talks to the two mid-year JC transfers London Sapolu and Darius Bright.

"My goal right now is knowing the plays like the back of my hand, not having to think about it, but when I hear it, bam, I should know what to do," said the 6-foot-1, 295-pound Sapolu, the son of former UH great Jesse Sapolu. "You know, technically-wise, I know I have the ability to play. It's just getting the stuff down is the hard part."

He smiled when asked about his father and said that he gets calls from the elder Sapolu "about 10 times a day."

"Oh, I feel like I did (make) a good decision to come here in the spring, to learn the offense, to get a feel for the field. And go farther from there," Bright said. "I just want to be on top of it. Natural. I don't want to think about where to go or zone coverages or anything. I just want to know off the top of my head," -- he snapped his fingers twice -- "and that's the thing, right now it's a process.

"Oh, if I was to come in the fall and do that, I'd have been like, 'Whoa.' "

Brian McInnis has some news and notes about walk-on receiver James Boyd-Kaanapu and kicker Scott Enos, who will be getting some competition.

Enos, the only kicker on the roster to open the spring, will get some company in practice this week. Kaiser graduate Kyle Niiro will be added to the roster after a one-day tryout when the Warriors opened practice last Wednesday.

And Dave Reardon profiles linebacker Mana Lolotai, who's trying to reclaim the starting spot he lost last year.

But after years of awaiting his chance, he was back on the sideline the next game; he'd made just one tackle against UCA. Lolotai was fast and strong and had worked hard, so what was the problem?

Looking back, he agrees he may have overthought things on the field instead of just reacting. Was spending 5 hours a day on tape and schemes too much?

"I think so. If I just do little chunks it's better. And get plenty of reps (in practice)," Lolotai said after yesterday's first full-pads workout. "Now just a couple of times a day, a half-hour here and there."

UPDATE: KHON & KITV with video of all the hitting.