A once proud program hit with loss after loss – both on the field and financially – the University of Hawaii needs more than a spark. They need a fresh start, a new beginning, almost like they received all the way back when June Jones hit campus in 1999.
Well luckily for the Warriors, Max Wittek is looking for the exactly same thing.
The once top recruit who became lost in the logjam of quarterbacks at USC finally decided to look for that new start last year, finally deciding on Hawaii as his choice. Originally pegged as a guy who would be able to come right in and start thanks him graduating early, in the end didn’t work out and he ended up having to sit out last season.
Fresh Start Could Be Beneficial For Max Wittek, Hawaii
After sitting out a year, Wittek has now been pegged as the Warriors quarterback and will look to try and right the ship that was the once proud program that has produced several record breaking signal callers in its recent history.
After Timmy Chang became the (at the time) all-time passing leader, Colt Brennan took the reins and became one of the most recognizable players in college football, breaking a plethora of records and ending up in New York as a Heisman Trophy Finalist.
Since then, the Warriors have struggled to find any consistency at the quarterback position. Bryant Moniz was a part of a record setting offense in 2010, but even then the offensive production hasn’t been there anymore. Part of the reason has been the inability to repeat the success of the Run-N-Shoot that Jones employed while at the helm.
While he shouldn’t be expected to sling the ball up and down the field at the same pace as Chang and Brennan did, Wittek could be the stabilizing force needed behind center to spark a fluttering offense.
As a senior at Mater Dei High School in California, Wittek was one of the highest regarded quarterbacks in the country, as Rivals had him ranked as the fifth best pro-style signal caller.
The names ahead of him? Braxton Miller, Jeff Driskel, Cody Kessler and Brett Hundley. You might have heard of a few of them.
What may be even more impressive was the list of players who were ranked behind Wittek – which included two eventual Heisman Trophy winners and a certain hero of the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Among the names, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Johnny Manziel, Everett Golson, Trevone Boykin, Cardale Jones and Zach Mettenberger are a few names that may be easily recognizable.
The pedigree didn’t translate, as Wittek was never able to seize the starting job while playing for the Trojans. In his time in southern California, Wittek only made three starts – losing two – and had underwhelming performances in each instance.
Against arch-rival Notre Dame, Wittek completed 14-of-23 passes for 186 yards, throwing one touchdown and getting intercepted twice. He would also start the team’s bowl game that year, completing only 37% of his passes and throwing another three interceptions.
In his two years at USC, Wittek completed 50-of-95 passes for 600 yards and threw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns (three to six).
Without the lights and pressure that comes with being a Trojan quarterback, don’t be surprised if Wittek becomes exactly the quarterback everyone thought he could become not too long ago.
There are still expectations, naturally, as Wittek was tabbed as a first team preseason All-MWC member by Phil Steele without having even taking a snap as a member of the conference – or even being named the official starter.
The announcing of Steele’s list came a day before the Warriors announced that it would indeed be Wittek taking the field first in the opener over last year’s starter Ikaika Woolsey.
Being the quarterback at Hawaii used to mean something in the college football world. You were instantly expected to put up big numbers and then give way to the next in line.
But the likes of Chang, Brennan (with a little Nick Rolovich rolled in between) and even a single great year of Moinz has been replaced by inconsistent numbers from Sean Schroeder, Greg Alexander and even Woolsey to a point
The Warriors football team has fallen on tough times, all the while a once promising career never got off the ground in Wittek. As they try and right the past by looking towards the future, both will use 2015 as a fresh start. It is almost too perfect a story to tell, but they will try and do so this upcoming season.
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