Hawai‘i’s new pressure looks meet Davis Warren in Stanford opener

Hawai‘i opens at Stanford on Aug. 29 with Dennis Thurman’s 4-2-5 intact but built to attack more aggressively. The immediate assignment is Davis Warren, the Michigan transfer Stanford has named its starting quarterback after he missed the 2025 season with an ACL injury.

That puts Hawai‘i’s reshaped front seven under an early spotlight. Wynden Ho‘ohuli and Jamih Otis have switched linebacker roles and will alternate defensive play-calling duties. At safety, Kona Moore and Matagi Thompson succeed Peter Manuma and Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen. Thurman has retained the 4-2-5 while adding attacking concepts from his NFL background.

Stanford is making its own defensive break from last season, hiring Kris Richard as director of defense and moving from an odd front to a four-man base. The Cardinal allowed 288.9 passing yards per game and produced three interceptions last season. Returning corners Brandon Nicholson and Aaron Morris are back, while Jay Green can work across multiple secondary roles.

The cleanest early read will be whether Hawai‘i can make Warren play under pressure without letting Ford settle Stanford’s offense inside, and whether Stanford’s rebuilt front can change the feel of a defense that gave up too much through the air in 2025. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.