Hawai’i secures Utah EDGE transfer Ka’eo Akana away from UCLA commitment

Ka’eo Akana used to follow brothers Bubba and Chase to high school football practice for Saint Francis School in Manoa Valley District Park growing up.

Now at 21 years old, Akana is coming full circle as he will be taking classes in Manoa as a member of the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors in 2025.

Akana comes to the Hawai’i football team via the transfer portal with two years of eligibility after spending three years at Utah. He previously committed to play for UCLA on Dec. 17 of last year, but spent his winter break at his family’s home in Pauoa Valley.

“My plans for the future are to stay home and play for the home team,” Akana told HSRN on Monday. “It’s just a great opportunity to play in front of my friends and family.

“You can’t beat home. Home is still home and that will always be what we live for. We want to defend the rock, and that’s what we’ll do.”

Ka’eo Akana tackles a ballcarrier in Aloha Stadium during the 2019 high school football season. | Photo credit: Michael Lasquero for ScoringLive

The 6-foot-3, 233-pound pass rusher was a 4-star prospect out of high school and was rated as the No. 1 player in the state from the 2022 class by 247Sports. Because Saint Francis School closed down in 2019, Akana finished his prep career at Roosevelt and also earned OIA and ScoringLive All-Hawaii Division I Defensive Player of the Year honors in his senior season.

Akana will reunite with former Roosevelt and Saint Francis defensive end Jackie Johnson III on the Rainbow Warriors. Johnson, who began his collegiate career in the NAIA playing for Lawrence Tech in Michigan, recorded five sacks in 2024 and was recently placed on scholarship.

“It was always a dream of ours to play at home in front of our families and play together so that was good for me and Jack to reunite,” Akana said.

Relationships forged with the Hawai’i coaching staff also played a factor in Akana’s decision. Head coach Timmy Chang and other members of the staff made Akana feel like a priority when they had lunch with him at Kim Chee II in Kaimuki on the first day of the portal period.

Defensive ends coach Jordan Pu’u-Robinson also impressed Akana with his acumen and expertise in Akana’s position group while associate head coach and linebackers coach Chris Brown already had a relationship with Akana from Brown’s time at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas when the Akana family considered sending Akana there during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They just welcomed me with open arms and loved me, loved my family and that’s all you can really ask for, is that love and that relationship,” Akana said.

“Coach Pu’u-Robinson, he’s a really good coach. He coaches hard and I feel like that’s what I need so it should be good. Yeah it’ll be fun.”

During the winter break, Akana also trained with renowned strength coach Marcus-Lawrie Kimura and former Hawai’i defensive end Jonah Kahahawai-Welch and reconnected with longtime mentor and Roosevelt defensive coordinator Jon Kahooilihala.

“The training has been good,” Akana said. “The field work with Jonah, we do that three times a week and then Marcus is every day, so yeah we’ve been going at it.

“Just being back in Hawai’i, you know, there’s no other feeling. It’s Hawaii, and this is our home, so you can’t beat this.”

Hawai’i football begins spring practice on Feb. 3.