OL Kernaghan, LB Paogofie signs with the Rainbow Warriors

The Ewa Beach-to-Manoa pipeline continues.

A pair of Campbell Sabers put pen to paper Wednesday morning with offensive lineman Jordan Kernaghan and linebacker Aisiah Paogofie signing to play for the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors.

“We definitely want to make a mark, two boys from home, helping the home team,” said Kernaghan, who played right tackle on a Campbell offense that helped the Sabers put up 41.9 points per game and 395.3 yards of total offense in 2024.

They will join a roster that includes Campbell graduates Peter Manuma, a captain at safety, and a trio of freshman from the Sabers that signed last year in Nazaiah Caravallo, Lautaimi Manuma and Isaac Maugaleoo. Outgoing senior receiver Tamatoa-Mokiao-Atimalala, who caught two touchdowns in the final game of the season, was also a Campbell graduate.

Paogofie, who is 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, said the Ewa Beach-ties on the team contributed to him choosing to stay home.

“Just seeing what they had accomplished while being at the University of Hawai’i is really exciting,” he said. “I’m just really excited to go and experience what they experienced.”

Both players committed in early June after their official visit to the campus in Manoa.

“I committed on the spot,” Paogofie admitted. “They really just caught my eye just because I can play at home, play in front of my family and play in front of my friends.”

Kernaghan added that coach Timmy Chang and offensive linemen coach Derek Faavi, who graduated from Campbell in 2001 before playing for the Rainbow Warriors, made him feel at home.

“Over there just feels like one bond, one team, and coach Timmy Chang and coach Faavi just made me feel like a priority,” Kernaghan said.

“Coach Faavi knows where I’m from and he knows the struggles from over here so it feels great as someone I can relate to as a coach. It feels great to play with some of my boys from last year and this year.”

Kernaghan, who is 6-foot-3 and 279 pound, plans to finish out his full senior year of high school before joining the team in the summer. While he played right tackle in high school, he noted that he is open to playing any position on the offensive line.

“I’m ready to play anywhere, and learn just together on the field. Any where they need me I’ll play.”

Paogofie played in a hybrid strong safety/outside linebacker role for the Campbell defense. He will look to transition into an inside linebacker role in defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman’s base scheme is a 4-2-5 defense with two linebackers, but noted that linebackers coach Chris Brown could tap into his multifaceted skillset.

“They see me as a linebacker with coach Brown and the Lion’s Den, but I’ll be able to move around and be versatile if they need me to,” said Paogofie, who had 82 tackles with a pick-six in the first eight games of the season.

Regardless of what role he fits in, the Rainbow Warriors will be getting an active player on the defensive side of the ball in Paogofie, who earned the nickname “Scoob” as a freshman at Sierra Vista in Las Vegas.

“I got that nickname freshman year just because I was a ‘dawg,’” said Paogofie.

“I’m just a high-energy player that’s ready to go, a player that’s never going to give up and a player that has faith in each and every one of the boys and that has faith in the Lord.”