Hawaii pegged to finish 7th in Mountain West; Ashlock & Cenacle earn preseason honors

LAS VEGAS — The University of Hawai’i football team is predicted to finish in seventh place during the 2025 Mountain West Conference regular season, according to a 39-media member panel and announced by the conference at its annual Old Trapper Mountain West Football Media Days, being held at Circa Casino & Resort.

It is the highest predicted finish for the Rainbow Warriors under the direction of head coach Timmy Chang, who took over the program in 2022. Hawai’i jumped up two spots from last season’s prediction after going 5-7 last year.

“This Mountain West Conference is a great conference, and the teams go in and battle day in and day out,” Chang told the hosts of “Money Moves” on Wednesday.

Outside of Boise State, who was picked to finish first by 35 of the 39 voting media members, the Rainbow Warriors have five opponents predicted to have a better finish than them on their schedule this season. Those teams in order are: UNLV, San Jose State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Air Force.

“We just take it and add it to the fuel (for the fire),” said junior receiver Pofele Ashlock. “Sometimes I feel like they don’t know what they be talking about so I just be chill, not too high, not too low. Like we say, we poised.”

Four of these games will be on the road with matchups at Air Force (Sept. 27,) at Colorado State (Oct. 18), at San Jose State (Nov. 1) and at UNLV (Nov. 21.).

The game against Fresno State at Clarence T.C. Ching Complex will kickoff conference play on Sept. 20.

For the rest of Hawai’i’s conference schedule, it will host Utah State on Oct. 11, San Diego State on Nov. 8 and Wyoming on Nov. 29.

Ashlock and Hawai’i senior receiver Nick Cenacle also earned individual recognition as the same media panel named them to the 2025 Preseason All-Mountain West Football team.

Over his two seasons at Hawai’i so far, Ashlock has amassed 144 receptions for 1,461 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Cenacle is coming off a career year when he led the Rainbow Warriors in receiving with 63 catches for 721 yards and six TDs.