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ALOHA OHANA!
It's been a while, but we're back and gearing up for another season in paradise. Last year's team was knocked out in a close wild card game on the road in Columbus. However, it marked the Wayfinders' seventh straight postseason appearance, and the team looks to be gearing up for run number eight.
The cupboard was a bit bare heading into the draft, but Hawai'i was able to get some work done while also adding to their stockpile of picks for next season. In this year's draft, there seemed to be a pretty clear delineation: two linebackers in round 3, two corners in round 4, and linemen in the later rounds. The Wayfinders front office acknowledged this stratification, but added that it wasn't an intentional strategy and that this was simply how their draft board worked out this year.
So without further ado, here's a quick breakdown of the newest members of the Wayfinders Ohana!
ROUND 2
DEREK STARKS - PLACE KICKER - NEW MEXICO
5'11" - 201
Starks demonstrated an incredible leg in college, kicking with impressive accuracy even from 50+ yards. It's certainly unusual for kickers to be taken so high in the draft, but the Wayfinders felt there was a significant dropoff after Starks and that his kicking ability warranted an early pick. Hawai'i has lacked a consistent presence at the position and are confident that Starks will be the long-term solution they were searching for heading into the offseason.
ROUND 3
DARRELL WRIGHT - LINEBACKER - ULM
5'10" - 233
A three-year starter at Louisiana-Monroe, Wright was a consistent presence in the linebacker corps who plays well against both the run and the pass. Wright was overlooked by many teams due to his small stature, mid-major school background, and his lack of participation at the combine, but Hawai'i saw something in the kid and traded for an extra third round pick to make sure he became a Wayfinder.
VINCENT NEWSOME - LINEBACKER - BOSTON COLLEGE
6'5" - 250
There's a bit of culture shock in store for this east coast kid from New Jersey who went to college in New England. He certainly ticks all the boxes at linebacker--6'5", 250, strong against the run, disruptive in zone coverage. Some questions remain about his ability to generate pressure. At only 20 years old, Newsome is still very raw and may take some time to develop into a contributor. However, the upside is certainly there, and if everything goes to plan the Wayfinders will have a strong presence in the middle of their defense.
ROUND 4
RUBEN MEADOWS - CORNERBACK - OKLAHOMA STATE
5'10" - 183
Meadows had a solid but unspectacular career at Oklahoma State before impressing at the combine leading into the draft. While he's unlikely to develop into a starting-caliber player, his strong zone coverage skills make him an ideal role player in the nickel/dime slots. Though a bit undersized, he could also play some safety in a pinch, and the Wayfinders also expect he will contribute to special teams. This was definitely seen as a depth pick by the front office in Honolulu, who are looking to add capable guys who will play behind the established starters.
FERNANDO CENCERIK - CORNERBACK - USC
5'10" - 187
Cencerik opted to skip his senior year with the Trojans to enter the draft. He's more in the mold of a starting corner than Meadows is, but will need time to develop to reach that potential. Most scouts agree that the talent is there, but he could have used another year in the Coliseum to refine his game. As such, don't expect Cencerik to be a plug-and-play guy in Week 1, but do keep at eye on the kid; in a year or two, he might be a solid starting corner in this league.
ROUND 5
MIKE EMMONS - OFFENSIVE LINE - MARSHALL
6'3" - 289
Emmons has been a fixture on the Marshall offensive line for years now, and now he's making the deserved transition to the OSFL. The technical skills are all there for Emmons, but he's a bit undersized for a professional guard, so it's widely expected that he'll have to make the transition to center. Emmons has some question marks about consistency and motor, which is why he fell to the fifth round, but he is an accomplished pass blocker who spent the last two years calling the blocking schemes for the Marshall line, so that part of the job should come naturally.
ROUND 6
JEREMIAH COLAIANNE - OFFENSIVE LINE - UCLA
6'2" - 301
If nothing else, the play-by-play announcers in Hawai'i are practiced in pronouncing names that have a bunch of vowels in a row, so Colaianne should fit right in from that perspective. On the football field, Colaianne has been praised for his high motor and smooth pass blocking technique. However, he lacks polish and will need time to develop into a pro lineman. He will also need to add a bit of muscle to help him stand up against the pro-level power rush and open up run lanes. Add this guy to the long list of developmental prospects in this year's Wayfinders rookie class.
ROUND 7
RAMON BRANCH - DEFENSIVE LINE - WAKE FOREST
6'3" - 316
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Branch is the third player taken with strong ties to Los Angeles, having been born and raised there. Branch impressed scouts with his situational awareness and his ability to punish the ball carrier at the point of attack. However, his technique is not as sound as it should be, and he will need to improve if he wants to stick on a roster somewhere, even as a role player.
It's been a while, but we're back and gearing up for another season in paradise. Last year's team was knocked out in a close wild card game on the road in Columbus. However, it marked the Wayfinders' seventh straight postseason appearance, and the team looks to be gearing up for run number eight.
The cupboard was a bit bare heading into the draft, but Hawai'i was able to get some work done while also adding to their stockpile of picks for next season. In this year's draft, there seemed to be a pretty clear delineation: two linebackers in round 3, two corners in round 4, and linemen in the later rounds. The Wayfinders front office acknowledged this stratification, but added that it wasn't an intentional strategy and that this was simply how their draft board worked out this year.
So without further ado, here's a quick breakdown of the newest members of the Wayfinders Ohana!
ROUND 2
DEREK STARKS - PLACE KICKER - NEW MEXICO
5'11" - 201
Starks demonstrated an incredible leg in college, kicking with impressive accuracy even from 50+ yards. It's certainly unusual for kickers to be taken so high in the draft, but the Wayfinders felt there was a significant dropoff after Starks and that his kicking ability warranted an early pick. Hawai'i has lacked a consistent presence at the position and are confident that Starks will be the long-term solution they were searching for heading into the offseason.
ROUND 3
DARRELL WRIGHT - LINEBACKER - ULM
5'10" - 233
A three-year starter at Louisiana-Monroe, Wright was a consistent presence in the linebacker corps who plays well against both the run and the pass. Wright was overlooked by many teams due to his small stature, mid-major school background, and his lack of participation at the combine, but Hawai'i saw something in the kid and traded for an extra third round pick to make sure he became a Wayfinder.
VINCENT NEWSOME - LINEBACKER - BOSTON COLLEGE
6'5" - 250
There's a bit of culture shock in store for this east coast kid from New Jersey who went to college in New England. He certainly ticks all the boxes at linebacker--6'5", 250, strong against the run, disruptive in zone coverage. Some questions remain about his ability to generate pressure. At only 20 years old, Newsome is still very raw and may take some time to develop into a contributor. However, the upside is certainly there, and if everything goes to plan the Wayfinders will have a strong presence in the middle of their defense.
ROUND 4
RUBEN MEADOWS - CORNERBACK - OKLAHOMA STATE
5'10" - 183
Meadows had a solid but unspectacular career at Oklahoma State before impressing at the combine leading into the draft. While he's unlikely to develop into a starting-caliber player, his strong zone coverage skills make him an ideal role player in the nickel/dime slots. Though a bit undersized, he could also play some safety in a pinch, and the Wayfinders also expect he will contribute to special teams. This was definitely seen as a depth pick by the front office in Honolulu, who are looking to add capable guys who will play behind the established starters.
FERNANDO CENCERIK - CORNERBACK - USC
5'10" - 187
Cencerik opted to skip his senior year with the Trojans to enter the draft. He's more in the mold of a starting corner than Meadows is, but will need time to develop to reach that potential. Most scouts agree that the talent is there, but he could have used another year in the Coliseum to refine his game. As such, don't expect Cencerik to be a plug-and-play guy in Week 1, but do keep at eye on the kid; in a year or two, he might be a solid starting corner in this league.
ROUND 5
MIKE EMMONS - OFFENSIVE LINE - MARSHALL
6'3" - 289
Emmons has been a fixture on the Marshall offensive line for years now, and now he's making the deserved transition to the OSFL. The technical skills are all there for Emmons, but he's a bit undersized for a professional guard, so it's widely expected that he'll have to make the transition to center. Emmons has some question marks about consistency and motor, which is why he fell to the fifth round, but he is an accomplished pass blocker who spent the last two years calling the blocking schemes for the Marshall line, so that part of the job should come naturally.
ROUND 6
JEREMIAH COLAIANNE - OFFENSIVE LINE - UCLA
6'2" - 301
If nothing else, the play-by-play announcers in Hawai'i are practiced in pronouncing names that have a bunch of vowels in a row, so Colaianne should fit right in from that perspective. On the football field, Colaianne has been praised for his high motor and smooth pass blocking technique. However, he lacks polish and will need time to develop into a pro lineman. He will also need to add a bit of muscle to help him stand up against the pro-level power rush and open up run lanes. Add this guy to the long list of developmental prospects in this year's Wayfinders rookie class.
ROUND 7
RAMON BRANCH - DEFENSIVE LINE - WAKE FOREST
6'3" - 316
Branch is the third player taken with strong ties to Los Angeles, having been born and raised there. Branch impressed scouts with his situational awareness and his ability to punish the ball carrier at the point of attack. However, his technique is not as sound as it should be, and he will need to improve if he wants to stick on a roster somewhere, even as a role player.
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