The Warriors received signed commitments from a running back who will enter as the fastest athlete to wear a UH uniform (Andrew Pearman), South Carolina's high school football Player of the Year (Brandon Satcher), and the most prolific passer in Arizona prep history (Tyler Graunke).

Jones said each recruiting class has been better than the previous year's. With the exception of offensive lineman Vince Manuwai and linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, Jones insisted, none of the other recruits from his first class in 1999 is as talented as one of this year's recruits.

"We're better," Jones said during yesterday's news conference to announce this year's signings. "We've taken it to a different level. We expect a little bit more."

But Jones also acknowledged that in pursuing more highly regarded players, his coaches are engaging in more intense recruiting battles. "No question," Jones said, "more dirty tricks."

He added: "We had so many things happen (this year) that have never happened before. We had a kid intercepted at the airport and put on a different plane. We had e-mails, fabricated as if I wrote them, sent to the kids who had (verbally) committed. ... We had people pulling stuff out of old newspapers — that is not a negative thing, but turning it into a negative thing, lying to the kids.

"I never realized that went on. That's just every day, I guess, when you're at USC or you're at Notre Dame or Florida or Miami. I guess that happens all of the time (to those schools), but this is the first time (for UH coaches) because we are all of a sudden recruiting some of the same people that they are."

The Warriors have a few more available scholarships. Jones said he will give them to non-scholarship players on the team or save them until other prospects emerge.

One possible prospect is Kahuku's Jeremy Perry. The all-state lineman verbally commited to Arizona on Tuesday. He then signed a letter of intent with Hawai'i on Wednesday. However, Perry has not sent his letter to UH, meaning until the school receives the letter, Perry is free to choose another school.

Here's a look at this year's recruiting class:

Keith Ah Soon
6-2, 265, Tafuna High (American Samoa)
Background: Named top high school offensive lineman in American Samoa.
UH position: Center or guard.
Jones says: "He's a really, really talented offensive lineman whose best football is ahead of him."

Tyler Graunke
6-0, 180, Salpointe Catholic High (Tucson, Ariz.).
Background: Set Arizona's single-season passing record with 3,372 yards in 2003. Tucson Citizen's high school football Player of the Year for 2003.
UH position: Quarterback.
Jones says: "He is probably one of the more accurate passers that I've watched on film. He's got an unbelievable quick release. He is just a productive player — tough, winner, all of that kind of stuff."

Ryan Grice-Mullen
5-10, 175, Rialto (Calif.) High
Background: As a quarterback/running back, he rushed for 1,155 yards last season. He also played defensive back, and can run 40 yards in 4.5 seconds.
UH position: Slotback.
Jones says: "He has tremendous speed and ability to avoid people. ... This kid is a touchdown-maker. He can do some stuff that you can't do. I think he'll be maybe a little faster (slotback) Chad Owens once he learns what we're doing."

Taylor Humphrey
6-0, 198, Miramonte High (Orinda, Calif.)
Background: With more than 5,500 passing yards in two seasons, Humphrey broke the Miramonte career record set by former Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey.
UH position: Quarterback.
Jones says: "His desire to get all of the information he can use to be the best; already I can tell he's going to be a winner. There's a reason he was so successful in high school. He's that kind of kid who works harder than everybody else."

Austin Jackson
6-4, 270, Mount San Antonio College (Calif.)
Background: Played two seasons in junior college after redshirting as a freshman at Southern California in 2001. His father Melvin Jackson played five years with the Green Bay Packers.
UH position: Defensive tackle.
Jones says: "He just makes a lot of plays. He's a big and powerful guy. ... I think he has a chance to be a real impact player for us."

Matthew Kirschner
5-10, 175, Campbell Hall High (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
Background: The 2003 Delphic League's Offensive Player of the Year rushed for 1,672 yards and 17 touchdowns. As a defensive back, he made five interceptions. He can run 40 yards in 4.5 seconds.
UH position: Cornerback, nickelback.
Jones says: "He does everything. ... He's just a football player."

Fale Laeli
6-2, 300, Saint Louis School
Background: Key defender for the 2002 state champion.
UH position: Defensive tackle.
Jones says: "He's one of the tougher guys on the island this year. We really wanted him the most of all of the kids that we looked at (locally). ... He plays inside physically like the game's supposed to be played. He's just a hard-nosed football player."

Turmarian Moreland
6-2, 195, Los Angeles Valley College
Background: Intercepted 10 passes in 14 games since moving from wide receiver after the seventh game of his freshman season. He can run 40 yards in 4.47 seconds.
UH position: Cornerback.
Jones says: "Turmarian Moreland is the best corner we've ever recruited, I think. ... He's from Florida. ... He has the ability to play bump-and-run man and he's got size. ... He's an NFL-type body at corner."

Andrew Pearman
5-9, 175, Providence Senior High (Charlotte, N.C.)
Background: In 14 games in 2003, Pearman rushed for 2,268 yards, breaking the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County record, and scored 37 touchdowns. He can run 40 yards in 4.3 seconds and 100 meters in 10.3 seconds.
UH positions: Right wideout, running back.
Jones says: "I think he's really gonna be one of the most exciting players to come to the university. He can do it all."

Khevin Peoples
6-0, 205, Blake High (Tampa, Fla.)
Background: His father played in the NFL and his mother, as an Auburn sprinter, outraced Florence Griffith-Joyner over 100 meters. He can run the 100 in 10.92 seconds.
UH positions: Rush linebacker, strong safety.
Jones says: "This guy is an outside rush guy, kind of like (WAC Player of the Year) Travis LaBoy, but he's 6-foot tall."

Bryce Runge
6-1, 245, Fullerton (Calif.) College
Background: Runge, who is 26, was exclusively a long-snapper in junior college.
UH position: Long-snapper.
Jones says: Runge became UH's first recruited long-snapper because "that's one phase of the game you don't even want to worry about. ... He's the best snapper in junior college right now."

Brandon Satcher
6-1, 195, North Augusta (S.C.) High
Background: The South Carolina Player of the Year passed for 3,330 yards and 37 touchdowns and rushed for 782 yards and 11 touchdowns.
UH position: Quarterback.
Jones says: "This guy is an athlete. He looks like Chad Owens playing quarterback, which is quite a feat being able to move like that. ... He has a lot of versatility, and he's a winner."

Carl Stokes
6-2, 220, Aberdeen (Md.) High
Background: Stokes, who can run 100 meters in 10.9 seconds, made 130 tackles as a linebacker and scored 13 touchdowns as a running back.
UH position: Outside linebacker.
Jones says: "He's only played football, I want to say, three years. He's got a tremendous upside. I believe he was the conference defensive player of the year."

Desmond Thomas
6-3, 175, Vallejo (Calif.) High
Background: Played receiver (390 catches, 740 yards, five touchdowns) and safety (118 tackles, eight interceptions, 20 deflections) in 2003.
UH position: Right wideout.
Jones says: "He is a big-time hitter at free safety. I told him after looking at his tape, he can play wherever he wants to play. He said he wants to play receiver, but he looks like a big-time free safety. I would anticipate before he leaves here, he may give that a shot."

Clarence "Lafu" Tuioti-Mariner
6-0, 275, Corona (Calif.) High
Background: The cousin of former UH defensive tackle Tony Tuioti can bench press 350 pounds, squat lift 585 pounds and run 40 yards in 5.0 seconds.
UH position: Defensive tackle.
Jones says: "He just makes plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He has a tremendous first step. When I looked at his tape, I thought it was (former UH defensive lineman) Lance Samuseva. That's how he looked."

Keala Watson
6-4, 310, Nanakuli High
Background: He played on both sides of the line, but was named to The Advertiser's All-State second team as a defensive lineman.
UH position: Defensive tackle.
Jones says: "He is very productive, very athletic. He plays on the basketball team. He has tremendous upside. I think he's going to get better and better."

Lawrence Wilson
6-1, 300, Dixie College (Utah)
Background: UH tried to recruit Wilson when he was a senior at Farrington High. Despite a high-ankle sprain, Wilson made 4.5 sacks in six games last season.
UH position: Defensive tackle.
Jones says: "He is probably one of the better junior college defensive linemen that we looked at. He makes a lot of plays. He's got unreal first-step quickness, kind of like Lance (Samuseva), but he's bigger and taller than Lance. He's an every-down player who just makes a ton of plays and was real excited about coming home."