Despite a late start — his NCAA eligibility was not approved until the second week of the fall semester — Savaiigaea has transformed into an effective interior lineman. "He's been working so hard in the weight room his whole body has changed," Jones said. "He's quicker and stronger."

Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said of 6-foot-3 Savaiigaea: "When we got him, he was a 320-pound, slow-footed guy. Now he looks like a 300-pound man with quick feet and good workout habits. He has changed as much as any kid we haven't played."

Savaiigaea is projected to play nose tackle in UH's base 3-4 defense and defensive tackle in the 4-0 scheme involving at least five defensive backs.

Linwood's quickness and sure-handed catches give fits to the Warriors' first-team defense in practices. "He's probably quicker than Davone (Bess, the starting left slotback)," Lee said.

Unfortunately as a scout player, Linwood is more accustomed to an opponent's offense than the Warriors' four-wide schemes. He'll receive extensive training in UH's offense during spring practice. "He has to learn the plays and learn what we do," Jones said. "But physically he can do everything we want him to do."

Jackson entered UH weighing 144 pounds. His goal is to weigh 160 pounds by the end of this season. As the former point guard of Snellville's nationally ranked basketball team, Jackson's quiet leadership has impressed coaches. He is the favorite to return punts in spring practice.

Ieru was a 362-pound defensive lineman when he reported to training camp in August. Out of condition, at the end of the first practice, he completed only one of the required 10 sprints of 220 yards. He moved to the offensive line, where he suffered an injury.

Since then, "he really worked hard," said Wes Suan, who coaches the offensive line. "He's dropped about 30, 40 pounds already. He's doing good in his classes. He's working hard in the weight room."

While the other offensive linemen of the 2005 recruiting class — Daniel Johnson, John Estes, Aaron Kia and Laupepa Letuli — have been impressive in practices, Ieru has drawn the most praise.

"I think Raphel Ieru might be as good as we've had," Jones said. "He's got size and quickness and he's very smart."

At Carson, Mahaley was a tight end — a position that does not exist in the Warriors' four-wide offense. "We're going to find a spot for Antwan," Jones said.

The likely choice is wideout, where Mahaley's size (6 feet 4, 210 pounds) and speed (4.5 seconds over 40 yards) will create mismatches against smaller defensive backs.

"He needs to be a wideout," Lee said. "He has decent hands and he can run."

Satele, who is 6 feet 1 and 261 pounds, is projected to be a physical run-stopper. "When we get up against those teams that are trying to mug our little guys, there are places you need a 260-pound linebacker," Glanville said. "In some games, he'll be better than our little fast guys."

Robinson, who is 6 feet 2, has dropped 16 pounds and now weighs 229. He also has moved from the inside, where he played at Santa Rosa, to outside linebacker. "He's going to be a good player," Jones said.

Taylor actually won't enroll at UH until January. He has split the fall semester taking some classes, assisting his high school team and training in Arizona. Taylor, who is 5 feet 10 and 180 pounds, is participating in the same program used by NFL prospects. He has reduced his time in the 40-yard dash to 4.3 seconds.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.