Jameel Dowling, a defensive back who played at Oregon last season, has joined the University of Hawai'i football team.

Dowling arrived in town Tuesday night. He attended yesterday's practice.

He already is enrolled at UH.

Dowling will have one season of eligibility after he redshirts this season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.

Dowling, who is 6 feet 3 and 202 pounds, played 11 games for Oregon last season after transferring from Butte College.

This summer, he underwent surgery to remove scar tissue in his left ankle. Two days after he stopped wearing a medical boot, Dowling claimed, he was "pressured" to practice.

Annoyed at the request, he opted to ask for a release from his football scholarship.

"I didn't want to lose my senior year like that," Dowling said.

After receiving his release, he contacted several schools. He said the most interest came from Rich Miano, who coaches the UH defensive backs.

"I liked what he was talking about," Dowling said.

Dowling said his left ankle is "100 percent." He enters UH with a healthy 3.57 cumulative GPA.

He said he will play either cornerback or safety.

JONES BACK IN CORNER

Keenan Jones has rebounded from a difficult offseason to become the top backup to right cornerback Myron Newberry.

Jones was suspended from spring training after missing several meetings. He eventually forfeited his football scholarship.

But during the summer, he was allowed to rejoin the team, although his scholarship won't be reinstated until January.

Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin met with Jones days before the start of training camp.

"(Head coach) June (Jones) had given him another chance, and I felt I should, too," McMackin said.

McMackin wiped clean Keenan Jones' abstract.

"He gave me a new start," Jones said. "He told me: 'As long as you're handling things off the field, not embarrassing the team, doing what you're supposed to do, the sky's the limit.' "

Jones' physical bump-and-run coverage made him the best choice to serve as Newberry's understudy.

"I go out there trying to make plays," Jones said. "When you make plays, you can work your way up the depth chart."

ESTES LIKES GUARD DUTY

Every now and then center John Estes gets homesick, pining the right-guard position, where he played last season.

In particular, Estes misses "Tampa," a running play in which the back-side guard pulls to the front side, serving as a lead blocker for the running back.

During scout drills yesterday, Estes said: "I asked (right guard) Larry (Sauafea), 'Go play center for me.' I wanted to play guard. I missed pulling. I miss running downhill and hitting somebody."

SOARES WILL LIKELY SIT

June Jones told strongside linebacker Blaze Soares it is unlikely he will play in Saturday's season opener.

Soares is suffering from an injured left hamstring.

At the end of yesterday's afternoon meeting, Jones told Soares he will be held out unless he is able to practice without pain today.

McMackin added: "Coach Jones will make the decision. But there's no reason to take a chance on him pulling something."

Soares said: "I'll let the coaches make the decision. I felt good running. If I play, I play. If I don't, I don't."

DUFFIELD JOINS STAFF

Terry Duffield officially joined the coaching staff yesterday.

Duffield's title is graduate assistant, although he will instruct the cornerbacks and serve as a quality-control coach for the defense.

He earned his bachelor's degree last month, a requirement for a graduate assistant, but his transcripts were not certified until recently.

"I don't have any problems accepting the G.A. title," said Duffield, who previously coached at Dixie State and Eastern Arizona. "Whatever I have to do to help June Jones."

MILE-HIGH CHALLENGE

To prepare for the nation's most productive offense, Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing mused to reporters: "We went down to Denver and practiced against the Broncos for a while."

The line was met with silence, as if the strategy might not be far-fetched. Downing said his team has studied the pass routes of UH's four-wide offense.

"The critical factor is in practice, you can't replicate the game speed," Downing said.

BOOSTERS KEEP BUS AREA

Koa Anuenue, the University of Hawai'i athletic booster club, will retain the bus lot of the Aloha Stadium parking lot, in addition to other reserved sections.

A story in yesterday's Advertiser said the bus area would be opened to the general public.

Visit Tsai's blog at www.hawaiiwarriorbeat.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.