The Hawai'i football team filled two need areas, securing commitments from cornerback Melvin "Tank" Hopkins of Navarro College (Coriscana, Texas) and left tackle Brett Leonard of Saddleback Community College (Mission Viejo, Calif.).

"I like everything about the program — the coaches, the players, everything," said Hopkins, who is 5 feet 10 and 165 pounds.

Leonard, who is 6 feet 5 and 306 pounds, said: "I liked the whole vibe out there. The whole community is behind the team. Everywhere we went, people would ask: 'Are you on the football team?' I definitely liked that."

Even the past weekend's showers could not douse his enthusiasm. "I'll take it," said Leonard who turned down offers from California, Marshall, Kansas and Miami (Ohio).

Leonard and Hopkins earn their associate degrees next week. They will enroll at UH in January.

Hopkins will help fill the void when UH's top three cornerbacks complete their eligibility after the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

Navarro head coach Nick Bobeck timed Hopkins sprinting 40 yards in 4.38 seconds. "That was on grass," Bobeck said.

Navarro often played in a four-across zone, and pass routes rarely went into Hopkins' quarter. "There weren't a lot of balls thrown there," said Kevin Curtis, who coaches the secondary.

In 11 games, Hopkins made 53 tackles, including 40 solo stops.

"He'll come up and tackle you," Curtis said. "He can press. He can lay off. He can play zone. And he can hit hard."

Bobeck said opponents often tried to throw bubble screens in front of the defensive backs. With his quickness, Hopkins was difficult to block.

"He's hard to get your hands on," Bobeck said. "He'll run up and make plays. He's a really good football player and a hard-working kid."

Curtis said: "He's always stayed after practice. That's one thing that's important to him. He'll stay that extra time to work on his press technique or on his back-pedal. Everyone works hard and practices, but the people who do the extra work are the ones who come out on top. He does the extra."

Hopkins said he received his nickname from his mother.

"When I was little, I used to run into things, and knock them over," Hopkins said.

Bobeck said: "I wouldn't doubt it. He's a high-energy kid. I can imagine what he was like when he was little."

Leonard was the back-side blocker at Saddleback. He allowed only two sacks the past season. In a face-to-face matchup, he did not allow Orange Coast's Dean DeLeone, an All-America defensive end, to hit the quarterback.

"I wish Hawai'i had him the night (it) played Georgia," associate head coach Don Butcher said.

Butcher added: "He's a great guy. He's a hard-worker. He's punctual. He has a great attitude. He has a ton of desire. He's got talent. He's athletic."

Butcher said Leonard has lost 20 pounds and two belt sizes since transferring to Saddleback.

"He's taken the two inches off his waist and put it on his shoulders and arms," Butcher said.

The past semester, Leonard, who has three years to play two seasons, was tutored by former All-Pro Jackie Slater.

"Words cannot express how much he helped me out in the couple of months he was with me," Leonard said. "That was huge for me."

Butcher said Leonard's footwork is his best attribute.

"He puts himself in position to make plays," Butcher said. "He can pull. He can downfield block. He's always looking at the second level."

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