On Wednesday, head coach Greg McMackin opened the competition at every position on the Hawai'i football team.

Yesterday, Tyler Graunke declared his candidacy for the starting quarterback's job.

"I don't want it handed to me," said Graunke, who served as the primary backup to Heisman finalist Colt Brennan the past three seasons. "I'm going to show the new guys — the guys who don't know me as well as other guys — I'm going to earn it. I want it more than anything in my life. I've been waiting for this for a long time. I'm not going to shy away from any experience."

After the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Graunke went straight to his family's home in Arizona, where he began training. He returned to Hawai'i Sunday. Yesterday, he attended McMackin's first team meeting. The team was told receivers coach Ron Lee would become the next offensive coordinator, former Warrior standout Nick Rolovich was asked to apply as quarterbacks coach, and the Warriors would run a run-and-shoot offense similar to June Jones' four-wide attack.

"There's a lot of relief knowing we're going to keep the puzzle together," Graunke said. "Rolo is a great guy. He's going to be a great coach. He's going to relate to the players a lot better than people think. Coach Mack leaves us with so much confidence after this meeting. Everything is going to be all right. It doesn't matter if coach Jones is gone. We're going to do it either way. I have all of the confidence in the world in the guys coming back. We're going to be just fine if we keep running the same system, which we are."

Graunke will be a fifth-year senior when the Warriors open the 2008 season at Florida. He redshirted in 2004, Tim Chang's last season as UH quarterback, and backed up his best friend, Brennan, the next three seasons.

"It feels like I've redshirted for four years," Graunke said. "The Colt Brennan era is over. It's my turn."

McMackin wiped clean the depth chart, insisting that each player has an equal chance to win a starting job.

"It's going to be a true test of heart," Graunke said. "Who works the hardest is going to be on the field, and who practices the best, and who's the most consistent. It's going to make us better. I know we're going to be going to Florida with a confident group of guys. We have to make sure it's the right group of guys."

The players began the offseason conditioning program this week. Graunke has decided to add field work.

"I'm going to keep throwing with the receivers, and getting on the same page as all of my linemen," Graunke said. "I'm going to keep (the linemen) happy, buy them food, whatever I've got to do. I'm going to keep them happy, even in the offseason, because they've got to protect me."

The Warriors went unbeaten during the 2007 regular season, but were blown out, 41-10, in the Sugar Bowl. In that game, Graunke played well in relief, as did the UH defense in the final three quarters. McMackin implemented the 4-3 defense last season.

"We're going to be good, maybe even better," Graunke said. "The defense is going to be better in the same system for the second year in a row. They were damn good at it last year, and they were just learning the stuff. Now that we've got coaches who know the system and players who know what's going on, we're going to be good on defense. And we're going to be good on special teams, too."

As for the offense, Graunke said, "I can't wait to break out and do what I do. It's going to be exciting. It's going to be awesome. I want the stadium to be packed and the crowd to be wild because we're going to put on a show."

Visit Tsai's blog at www.HawaiiWarriorBeat.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.