With seven starters returning on defense, the University of Hawai‘i football team continued training camp Thursday, looking to build on last season’s improvements under second-year defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman.
Despite finishing 5-7 in 2024, the Rainbow Warriors posted their best defensive numbers since their last conference title in 2010. Hawai‘i allowed just 26 points and 376 yards per game, a notable improvement and a reflection of Thurman’s NFL-caliber experience.
A former defensive coordinator for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, Thurman has brought more than 30 years of coaching experience to Manoa, with previous collegiate stops at USC, Colorado, and Jackson State.
He said the difference between year one and year two is already evident.
“It’s grown,” Thurman said. “If you came out and watched practice a year ago and now you come out and you watch and listen, our communication is superior. The guys are better prepared, they understand the defense better, and now they have more freedom to express themselves.”
Thurman emphasized that with greater understanding of their own scheme, players are now able to focus more on recognizing offensive tendencies.
“When we get to the point where we’re studying other teams’ offenses, because we’re not worried about what we’re doing, you’ll see a dramatic change for the better,” he said.
Thurman was recently inducted into the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame. A two-time All-American and national champion at USC, he was the Trojans’ Defensive Player of the Year in 1977 and a consensus All-American. In the NFL, Thurman spent nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, never missing a game, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 1981, and finishing with 36 interceptions, 11 fumble recoveries, and five touchdowns.
In 2024, Hawai‘i’s defense recorded 27 sacks, 68 tackles for loss, six interceptions, and 39 passes defended.
With standouts like safety Peter Manuma, linemen Tariq Jones and Jamar Sekona, linebacker Jalen Smith, and defensive backs Justin Sinclair, Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen, and Elijah Palmer all returning, to go with anticipated impact transfers on the defensive line, De’Jon Benton and Luther McCoy, expectations are rising.
“I’ve seen athleticism, size, height, weight, speed,” Thurman said. “It just all has to come together. If we bring it together, I believe we have a chance to be infinitely better than we were a year ago.”
Training camp continues through the weekend as the Rainbow Warriors prepare for their season opener against Stanford on Aug. 23 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex.
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