"It was good to get out and run some routes," Ilaoa said.

The departure of co-starters Michael Brewster and West Keli'ikipi opened the way for Ilaoa to move to running back. But inexperience at slotback — three inside receivers completed their eligibility at the end of the 2004 Hawai'i Bowl — and Bryan Maneafaiga's development at running back prompted Ilaoa's shift to right slotback yesterday.

At running back or slotback, Ilaoa is expected to be in the starting lineup.

"I think he's one of our best football players overall," Jones said. "He can be on the field in a whole bunch of different ways. Whichever way is best, that's what we're going to do. If the best six guys on offense (other than linemen) include Nate at slot and Bryan at running back, or Nate at running back and somebody else at slot, that's the way we'll go."

In previous seasons under Jones, the playbook contained four running plays, including a slotback counter designed with Ilaoa in mind. As a skilled blocker, Ilaoa had an easy transition to running back.

"He's learned what to do at running back," Jones said.

Jones said Ilaoa appeared to be comfortable at slotback yesterday.

"He has to work himself back into shape," Jones said. "I think running the routes at receiver will help him lose some weight."

Ilaoa, who now carries about 230 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame, said: "I'm slowly getting down. I'm not really running to lose weight. I'm running to learn routes and work on agility. After spring (practice), I'm going to try and get on a little program to lose weight."

Ilaoa, who received a medical hardship for the 2003 season, is entering his fifth — and presumably last — year at UH. There is a possibility he might receive a sixth year if he can successfully argue that the injuries that prevented him from playing last season were an extension of his medical problems in 2003.

For now, Ilaoa said, "I'm working like this is going to be my last year."

Maneafaiga also is preparing for the final season of an uneven career.

Maneafaiga — then using his mother's maiden name of Hinton as his surname — alternated between living in the Bay Area and Wai'anae when he was in high school. He played two years at Los Medanos College in California before enrolling at UH in 2003. He did not join the Warriors until the 2004 spring semester.

Midway through last season, he suffered torn ligaments in his left shoulder.

This spring, he has impressed the coaches with his first-step quickness, perimeter speed and blocking.

"He can play," Jones said. "We knew that last year when we had a few scrimmages and we put him on kickoffs (for a game). He's been through a lot of adversity in his life. He (rose) to the challenge."

Last year, Maneafaiga — whose ancestry is Samoan, African American and Native American — decided to use his father's surname. "Maneafaiga" is tattooed on his left shoulder.

"I grew closer to the Samoan culture," he said. "The families are big, and my family is close. We cook and spend a lot of time together. I learned how to (perform a Samoan) dance. It's awesome. They're a positive culture."

After shuttling between the Mainland and Hawai'i, from playing to not playing, Maneafaiga said, "I'm where I want to be."

One point of view

The UH coaches are viewing practices differently these days.

Jones acknowledged that one of the two "lifts" — a mobile platform that, when fully raised, allows a video crew to shoot practices from a bird's-eye view — is no longer available.

Jones declined to explain why the Warriors were left with one lift, except to say, "It's not here."

For a normal practice, one lift is positioned on the sideline and another in the end zone.

With only one lift, the practices were realigned so the video crew can shoot both the offensive and defensive practices at the same time.

"You have to work around the problems you have," Jones said.

In the past year, the Warriors have had to scramble to compensate for worn-down or broken video equipment.

"It's the way things are," Jones said. "You do the best you can."

Graunke the survivor

When Tyler Graunke decided to accept a scholarship last year, he knew the Warriors already had received commitments from two other quarterbacks. In addition, there were five other quarterbacks on the 2004 roster, including Tim Chang.

"I've always had competition in my life," said Graunke, who is a contender to succeed Chang. "There always have been people in front of me. I haven't been the biggest or the most talented. But it's like any other situation in my life. I strive to be the best and take care of what's in front of me."

Graunke is the only remaining quarterback from the 2004 recruiting class. Taylor Humphrey transferred to Massachusetts and Brandon Satcher will enroll at a junior college.

"I kind of had a feeling it would happen," Graunke said. "I knew I was going to stay all along. The other guys faded off. I don't know if it's because they didn't think they were going to play or they just didn't like it here or personal problems."