ESPN writer ranks Hawaii QB situation as one of the worst in country — behind 129 teams

ESPN writer ranks Hawaii QB situation as one of the worst in country — behind 129 teams

Jun 4, 2025

ESPN writer ranks Hawaii QB situation as one of the worst in country — behind 129 teams

BY HSRN STAFF
PUBLISHED MAY 4, 2025

News in the sports world during the summer months tends to be slow, which leads to many predictions and projections for the upcoming football season.

The University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors football team loses quarterback Brayden Schager to graduation, but freshman signal-caller Micah Alejado dazzled in his first career start with 469 passing yards and five touchdown passes in the 2024 season-finale against New Mexico.

Micah Alejado fires a pass against New Mexico in his first-ever career start for the Hawai’i football Rainbow Warriors. | Photo credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

It was a record-setting performance that left many Hawai’i football fans excited for the upcoming season.

The buzz for Alejado was not big enough for one ESPN writer however.

In an article published on May. 19, 2025 that ranked all 136 FBS QB situations into tiers ahead of the 2025 season, ESPN’s David Hale puts the Rainbow Warriors’ QB depth chart in the 20th tier, the lowest tier on the list.

There is a label for every tier to illustrate what each team is working with at quarterback. For example: the seventh tier is titled “Consistently consistent,” the 14th-best tier is called “Best of the Group of 5” and the 19th tier is labeled “It could be worse.”

The article describes the 20th tier as “nowhere but up” and has six other teams in the same position as Hawai’i: Kennesaw State, Kent State, New Mexico, Tulsa, UL Monroe and Western Michigan.

Snippet of the ESPN article ranking all 136 FBS teams’ quarterback situation.

Hale’s article also says the following about the teams in the 20th tier: “Each season, only a few hundred players get to say they’re an FBS quarterback. These guys are among them. That’s something.”

The ranking does take into account the addition of Modesto Junior College-transfer Luke Weaver, who threw for 5,332 yards and 44 TDs in two full season as a starter for the Pirates — but it still lists Jarret Nielsen on the depth chart. Nielsen decided to retire from football and focus on baseball in late April and is in the transfer portal.

Transfer QB Luke Weaver drops back to pass in Hawai’i football’s final practice of the Spring 2025 session, which was opened to the public. Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i did add UCLA QB Dermaricus Davis a few days from the transfer portal a few days after Hale’s article was published, but Davis was a non-factor in his ranking of UCLA in the sixth-best tier.

Below is the tiers that the Rainbow Warriors’ 2025 FBS opponents quarterback situation were placed in:

Tier 10: One more try
Arizona — Noah Fifita, Braedyn Locke

Tier 12: What’s in the box?
Stanford — Elijah Brown, Ben Gulbranson, Dylan Rizk

Tier 13: Wily Veterans
Colorado State — Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Jackson Brousseau

Tier 15b: We used to be somebody: established starter edition
UNLV — Anthony Colander, Alex Orji

Tier 16b: We used to be starters in the Big Ten, Big 12 or SEC
Utah State — Bryson Barnes, Jacob Conover

Tier 17: We can make this work
Sam Houston — Hunter Watson, Mabrey Mettauer
San Jose State — Walker Eget, Xavier Ward

Tier 18a: New faces, good places
Air Force — Josh Johnson, Liam Szarka, Maguire Martin
Fresno State — E.J. Warner, Jayden Mandal
San Diego State — Jayden Denegal, Bert Emanuel Jr
Wyoming — Kaden Anderson, Mason Rube, Landon Sims

Hawaii edges closer to new Aloha Stadium with demolition permit application

Hawaii edges closer to new Aloha Stadium with demolition permit application

May 29, 2025

Aloha Stadium still remains standing in mid-2025 even though it hasn’t been in use in nearly five years.

Hawaii edges closer to new Aloha Stadium with demolition permit application

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED MAY 29, 2025

‘AIEA — The dotted line is still without a signature, but construction of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District in Hawai’i is starting to become a reality.

Aloha Halawa District Partners still remains in a negotiation period with the state as the “preferred offeror” to be the master developer of the NASED project, but displayed commitment to the project by applying for a demolition permit on May 23 to tear down the current, defunct structure.

Stadium Authority chair Brennon Morioka said the application for the demolition permit was a “significant milestone” for a stadium that is expected to be ready in time for the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors football team’s 2028 season-opener against Kansas on Aug. 26, 2028.

“It is really the first tangible or visible thing that people are going to be able to see,” Morioka said. “I know people have been frustrated because they don’t see the progress because procurement is really something that you don’t see what’s going on. I will say there has been a lot of activity in a lot of the negotiations going on, but this was huge.”

The demolition process is expected to start in August and take about 10 months before the site is ready for vertical construction in the summer of 2026.

While the permit application gives reason to be optimistic, AHDP and the state still needs to agree to the execution of a full contract agreement. The NASED project does have a self-imposed deadline of June 30 for full agreement, but interim stadium manager Chris Sadayasu said in the May 29 Stadium Authority board meeting that the negotiations “might slip” past the deadline.

The stadium project is still “on track” however, Sadayasu said. He noted that there is excitement “about the progression and developers are doing a great job doing their planning, their scheduling, looking at design concepts, taking that time.”

Sadayasu added that they are meeting weekly with a “all-hands meeting every other week with attorneys involved to go over the project document, so that’s moving forward as planned.”

There are four major components that must be agreed upon by the state and AHDP: the execution of a master developmental agreement for the whole 98-acre, mixed-use site that includes the new stadium and surrounding district, a stadium development/operations agreement, a lease for the parcel of land and a reciprocal easement agreement, which Sadayasu says will serve as a contract performance report (CPR) “for the project that everybody will be subject to as the properties are developed.”

One question that was brought up by Stadium Authority board members at the meeting was the method of demolition for the existing stadium.

The Stadium Authority board meets every month in one of the conference rooms beneath the current Aloha Stadium structure.

Morioka, who is the Dean for the College of Engineering at UH, said that implosion would not happen and that the current stadium will go through a more traditional dismantling process where it is cut apart piece by piece.

“They looked at implosion, (but) it was too complicated because it’s primarily a steel structure, implosion while not impossible, was a little more difficult,” said Morioka, who noted that the cost for the demolition process would be closer to $20 million.

He added that there has only been two implosions in the state’s recent history and there was a question of who would have jurisdiction over the permitting process if there was a more explosive demolition.

Skeptics of the project may have wondered why the old stadium couldn’t be demolished as soon as it was no longer in use, but part of the reason is AHDP is still working on its designs and evaluating if there is anything from the existing structure that could be use in the new stadium.

Sadayasu said that AHDP is going to keep the foundations of the north and south end zones of the old stadium and refurbish it, which will save the project around $80-90 million instead of having to build new foundations for those areas.

“They’re understanding of what necessarily needs to be done that they’re in charge of it and we didn’t have some third party that would then mess something up,” Sadayasu said of AHDP being in charge of the demolition process.

While Morioka confessed that the NASED project is one of the more complicated projects that he has been a part of, he remains optimistic that the new stadium can stay on its timeline for use in 2028.

Morioka gave credit to the city and Mayor Rick Blangiardi for doing everything it can to help keep the project on schedule and Gov. Josh Green for his leadership since restarting the project in 2023.

“The one thing I will say about this project, No. 1, it is the only state infrastructure project that is meant to generate revenue for the state,” said Morioka.

“This is a huge asset for both the community to access and also for the state to generate new revenues for our operations, but on top of that, the developer has a lot of incentive to get this project going because they’re going to be spending a lot of money up front. They’re going to need to start recouping money as well, so everybody has kind of been pushing this, pushing this, and that’s been real nice to see that this has actually seen the traction that it has gotten.”

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Football full 2025 schedule released

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Football full 2025 schedule released

Feb 20, 2025

 

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Football full 2025 schedule released

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Set the dates and book your tickets Hawai’i football fans.

The Rainbow Warriors’ full 2025 season schedule was released Thursday morning when the Mountain West Conference unveiled its complete league slate for the upcoming year.

Hawai’i will have four consecutive non-conference games starting with Stanford at home on Aug. 23 before hosting Fresno State on Sept. 20 to open up conference play.

Times for each matchup is still to be determined depending on TV and streaming broadcasts.

Full schedule followed by brief commentary listed below:

Week 0 — Aug. 23 vs. Stanford
Week 1 — Aug. 30 at Arizona
Week 2 — Sept. 6 vs. Sam Houston
Week 3 — Sept. 13 vs. Portland State
Week 4 — Sept. 20 vs. Fresno State
Week 5 — Sept. 27 at Air Force
Week 6 — Bye
Week 7 — Oct. 11 vs. Utah State
Week 8 — Oct. 18 at Colorado State
Week 9 — Bye
Week 10 — Nov. 1 at San Jose State
Week 11 —Nov. 8 vs. San Diego State
Week 12 — Bye
Week 13 —Nov. 21 at UNLV
Week 14 — Nov. 29 vs. Wyoming

Week 0 — Aug. 23 vs. Stanford

Hawai’i is just one of two Mountain West teams that will play in Week 0, with the other being Fresno State. The two teams have met just twice in school history, with the most recent one being two years ago and the debut matchup being in 1972. Both meetings have been at the Rainbow Warriors’ home field with Stanford averaging 38 points per game in the series.

Week 1 — Aug. 30 at Arizona

This will be the Rainbow Warriors’ second trip to Tuscon, Ariz. in program history with the first coming in a 47-28 loss in 2016. Hawai’i did win its most recent meeting with Arizona however in a 45-38 shootout win at home in 2019. The Wildcats will not have the services of standout receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who is projected to be a first round pick in the NFL draft. Hawai’i is 1-3 all-time against Arizona.

Week 2 — Sept. 6 vs. Sam Houston

The Rainbow Warriors’ will look to redeem themselves from last season’s 31-13 road-opener loss to the Bearkats when they allowed 422 yards of offense (257 on the ground) and committed 14 penalties, their most in 20 years. This will be Sam Houston’s first trip to the islands ever as it is the start of a three-game home stand for Hawai’i. Special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield is an alumnus of Sam Houston.

Week 3 — Sept. 13 vs. Portland State

Hawai’i will welcome in former quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele as the Vikings make their fifth appearance in the 50th state, their first since 2021. The Rainbow Warriors are 5-1 all-time against Portland State, who plays in the FCS. The last meeting between the two teams resulted in a 49-35 Hawai’i win at the T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in 2021.

Week 4 — Sept. 20 vs. Fresno State

The end of the three-game home stand is capped with the Mountain West season opener against Fresno State. It will be the fifth straight game without any week off for both teams. Fortunately for Hawai’i, it will be the Bulldogs’ third road game in that span. The Rainbow Warriors rallied to beat Fresno State on the road last year, 21-20, and won its most recent meeting at home in a 27-24 upset win in 2021. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 30-25-1, in what is known as the “Battle for the Golden Screwdriver.”

Week 5 — Sept. 27 at Air Force

Hawai’i will be playing its sixth consecutive game without any bye weeks when it travels to Colorado Springs for the first time since 2016 when Dru Brown tossed a 25-yard scoring pass to Marcus Kemp to end the Falcons’ 15-game winning streak in a 34-27 double-overtime win. The Rainbow Warriors are 8-14-1 all-time in the series, but won its previous meeting at home in 2023, 27-13, to lay claim to the Kuter Trophy. Potential trap game for the Falcons with Boise State the week before and road games at rival Navy and at UNLV in the following weeks.

Week 6 — Bye week

Week 7 — Oct. 11 vs. Utah State

The Rainbow Warriors suffered their worst defeat of the season last year in a 55-10 road loss to the Aggies so they should be fired up out of the bye week. Utah State has won the previous eight meetings against Hawai’i and is 13-6 all-time in the matchup. The two teams’ first-ever meeting was on Dec. 17, 1927 in a 21-20 home win for Hawai’i. Outside of that ancient game, the Rainbow Warriors have needed to score 45 points or more to secure the win.

Week 8 — Oct. 18 at Colorado State

Hawai’i is 11-16 against Colorado State all-time and went a span of 22 years without a win over the Rams, but recent history has favored the Rainbow Warriors with three wins in the last four meetings. The most recent matchup in Fort Collins, Colo. came in Timmy Chang’s inaugural season as head coach in 2022 when Hawai’i held a 13-3 halftime lead before giving up the lead late in a 17-13 loss. Chang also coached under head coach Jay Norvell during their time at Nevada.

Week 9 — Bye week

Week 10 — Nov. 1 at San Jose State

The Rainbow Warriors are fortunate to get a road conference game in “warm-weather” California during November with a trip to face the Spartans, who has many Hawai’i-ties in head coach Ken Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann. Hawai’i is 21-20-1 all-time against San Jose State in the “Dick Tomey Legacy Game,” but have dropped the last four meetings. The last road win against the Spartans came in a five-overtime 44-41 win in 2018 when John Ursua caught 13 passes for 148 yards and three scores.

Week 11 — Nov. 8 vs. San Diego State

The Aztecs have been a team that the Rainbow Warriors have not been able to get over the hump against during the Chang-era, with three losses coming by a margin of three, seven and two points. Former defensive lineman Malachi Finau is also now a member of San Diego State, who tallied five second-half sacks in last year’s Mountain West opener. The last home win against the Aztecs was in a low-scoring 14-11 game in 2019.

Week 12 — Bye week

Week 13 — Nov. 21 at UNLV

The last trip to play the Rebels at Allegiant Stadium was much earlier in the season in September 2023, but this year is much later with Hawai’i heading to Las Vegas for a game on the same weekend as the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Hawai’i leads the all-time series of the “Ninth Island Showdown,” 19-15, but are just 6-11 on the road. Safety Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen was a previous member of UNLV before transferring to Hawai’i last season. New UNLV head coach Dan Mullen was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Tim Tebow-led Florida team that defeated Hawai’i in 2008.

Week 14 — Nov. 29 vs. Wyoming

Hawai’i closes out the regular season at home for the third consecutive year. The Rainbow Warriors have performed well in their final home game dating back to the Nick Rolovich-era as Hawai’i has not lost a “senior night” game since 2017. It will be the fifth rivalry/trophy game that Hawai’i will play in this season with the Paniolo Trophy on the line.

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

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

Jan 13, 2025

EDGE Ka’eo Akana poses for a photo with Hawai’i football head coach Timmy Chang, Hawai’i defensive ends coach Jordan Pu’u-Robinson and Akana’s nephew Kash.

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

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED JANUARY 13, 2025

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.

UH Athletics NIL Bill Fails Final Senate Vote

by | May 9, 2026

Updated May 13, 2026Just one week after conference committee members described SB 3263 as a “win-win situation” for University of Hawai‘i student-athletes, the measure failed to pass final reading in the Hawai‘i State Senate on Friday in a dramatic reversal that...

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

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

Dec 6, 2024

Kainoa “Kaikai” Carvalho takes a photo during an official visit to the University of Hawai’i. | Photo courtesy Stewart Carvalho

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

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED DECEMBER 6, 2024

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.”

UH Athletics NIL Bill Fails Final Senate Vote

by | May 9, 2026

Updated May 13, 2026Just one week after conference committee members described SB 3263 as a “win-win situation” for University of Hawai‘i student-athletes, the measure failed to pass final reading in the Hawai‘i State Senate on Friday in a dramatic reversal that...

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OL Kernaghan, LB Paogofie signs with the Rainbow Warriors

OL Kernaghan, LB Paogofie signs with the Rainbow Warriors

Dec 6, 2024

OL Kernaghan, LB Paogofie signs with the Rainbow Warriors

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED DECEMBER 6, 2024

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.”

UH Athletics NIL Bill Fails Final Senate Vote

by | May 9, 2026

Updated May 13, 2026Just one week after conference committee members described SB 3263 as a “win-win situation” for University of Hawai‘i student-athletes, the measure failed to pass final reading in the Hawai‘i State Senate on Friday in a dramatic reversal that...

read more