Former Kahuku WR Carvalho to join Hawai’i football instead of Utah after LDS church mission

The date is Dec. 6, 2024.

Former Kahuku wide receiver Kainoa “Kaikai” Carvalho is currently sharing the good news in Sapporo, Japan.

That good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ as Carvalho is nearing the conclusion of a two-year mission as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dec. 6 is also a date that brought good news for Hawai’i football fans — Carvalho will be a Rainbow Warrior starting in the 2025 season.

Carvalho, who is 5-foot-7, 165 pounds, is the latest player to join the Hawai’i football team during the early signing period after the program’s social media accounts posted the news Friday afternoon.

It sent shockwaves across the state because the 2021 state Offensive Player of the Year was initially committed to play for the Utah Utes before he graduated in 2023 and embarked on his church mission.

What made it even more shocking was because his father Stewart, is an Utah alumnus, and his younger brother Mana signed his letter of intent to play for the Utes just two days prior.

With many moving pieces throughout the early signing period and as many other coaches and schools try to position themselves to get the best players and possibly flip some commitments, Stewart Carvalho just had one piece of advice for his son Kaikai.

“At the end of the day, Kaikai was kind of like, ‘hey dad, what should I do with all this hoopla going on and whatever,’ and I said: Go where you’re wanted, go where people believe in you,” said Stewart Carvalho, who is also an assistant coach for the Red Raiders.

Stewart Carvalho mentioned that there was conversations from other programs surrounding his two sons in hoping to get the younger Carvalho to flip his commitment from Utah.

But in the days of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and players getting compensated and getting paid either through collectives or from a portion of the university’s revenue share, relationships and being genuine and intentional still matters.

Stewart Carvalho credits Hawai’i wide receivers coach Jared Ursua in winning his son over, noting that Ursua “has never lost faith in Kaikai” and kept in touch while his son was on his mission.

Wide receivers coach Jared Ursua coaches from the sideline during the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors contest vs. UCLA in August | Michael Lasquero, HSRN

“My wife (Yuri) probably thought he was the classiest coach throughout this whole recruiting cycle,” Stewart Carvalho said. “(He) always showed (Kaikai) love, every time when we would talk, he always kept telling me ‘I’m going to get your boys, I’m going to get your boys.

“I think that resonated with Kaikai. At the end of the day, he wants to go somewhere where he’s love, where he’s appreciated more than someplace where I have been and I’ve gone.”

Stewart Carvalho added that he has no problem with Kaikai not playing for his alma mater.

“I’m happy with his decision, following his heart, but more importantly, following those that really believed in him because that’s when he plays his best.”

The Carvalho family moved to the Hawai’i from Utah when Kaikai was in fourth grade because Stewart Carvalho wanted to raise his family in the culture of the islands.

When Kaikai Carvalho eventually puts on the Rainbow Warriors uniform on his first game day, he will be representing something greater than the name on the back of his jersey.

“Hawai’i has given Kaikai, my son, basically my whole family so much love and appreciation that he knows that he’s playing (for) something bigger than himself. It’s not about him anymore,” said Stewart Carvalho.

“The two years on his mission has given him the perspective that you serve others to give back. The least he can do is give back to the home state, to the community, to his family and represent it the best way he can.”

Kaikai Carvalho’s final day of his mission is on the penultimate day of April 2025. He will enroll at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in May and get to work as soon as possible with Ursua and head coach Timmy Chang helping with the transition.

“(They) will let him enroll as possible, start working out with the team, start doing those PRPs (player run practices), with the players, get used to the quarterbacks and by summer camp, he’s ready to go and into the 2025 season.”

Injuries hampered Kaikai Carvalho’s senior season in 2022, but he was a dynamic playmaker as a junior and scored a total 147 points via 10 receiving touchdowns, five return scores on special teams, one rushing TD, 45 PATs and two field goals.

He also caught 64 passes for 1,029 yards and was instrumental to the Red Raiders going 10-0 in 2021 as they denied a fifth state title for Saint Louis while jumpstarting a three-year run atop of the mountain.

In 2024, the Crusaders stopped Kahuku’s bid for a fourth consecutive title behind a strong performance from a similar sized player as Kaikai Carvalho in Titan Lacaden, who is also Manoa-bound.

Stewart Carvalho is ready to see the two players tear it up for the Rainbow Warriors.

“I could see (Kaikai) and Titan just killing it out there.”