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HONOLULU, HAWAII - DECEMBER 24: Micah Alejado #12 of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors runs the ball during the first half of the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl against the California Golden Bears at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on December 24, 2025 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the eleventh post in our twelve-part recruiting breakdown series. Today will look at the #11 team in our rankings, Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors continue to execute their recruiting strategy. To see how it’s working, keep reading.
The Skinny:
- Recruits signed: 25
- High school: 17
- Transfers: 18
- Offensive: 18
- Defensive: 16
- Athlete: 1
- Number of 3-stars per 247 rankings: 16
- Players with a rating over 85: 3
- Players with a rating over 82: 10
- Breakdown by state (excluding transfers):
- Hawaii: 6
- Nevada: 4
- Arizona: 3
- International: 3
- Texas: 2
- California: 1
- Idaho: 1
- 247 Rankings (subject to change)
- Recruiting: 124
- Transfer: 112
- Overall: 125
High School Players:
QB Maika Eugenio
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Stand out skills:
- Moves comfortably around the pocket
- Easy throwing motion with big power behind his throws
- Making quick decisions to hit receivers
- Evades pressure well and keeps his eyes downfield
RB TJ Fo’ilefutu
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Stand out skills:
- Sturdy, upright runner who is tough to bring down
- Hits holes quickly, reaches max speed right away
- Possesses sneaky agility to make people miss in the open field
- Bounces off tackles and should fit well as a single-back in Hawaii’s system
WR Christian Tupuola
Stand out skills:
- Great footwork on the sidelines
- Burst of speed in the open field
- Height gives him a big advantage against defenders
- Solid hands to consistently come down with the ball
WR Kim Choy-Keb Ah Lo
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Stand out skills:
- An offensive weapon that can be utilized in a variety of ways
- Able to get separation with nice breaks in and out of routes
- Constantly fights for extra yards after the catch
- Ideal fit as a slot receiver to make use of his quick change of direction
WR Robert Haynes
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Stand out skills:
- Solid releases at the line of scrimmage, getting free to run his routes
- Long strides after the catch turn help him to turn nice gains into explosive plays
- Well-rounded receiver who’s able to make an impact on deep passes and throws to the flat
- Utilizes a stiff arm and jukes to avoid tackles and fight for extra yards
TE Vai Fanuaea
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Stand out skills:
- Physical blocker who punishes defenders
- Wide catch radius with big, reliable hands
- Powerful runner after the catch, bowling over defenders
- Complete tight end who can impact a play in a variety of ways
OL Cooper Troy
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Stand out skills:
- Mobile lineman who gets out in front of plays to block very well
- Explodes off the snap and gets into his pass protection stance quickly
- Overpowers defenders, pancaking them easily
- Drives players back through the whistle as a run-blocker
OL Andrew Price
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Stand out skills:
- Solid footwork moving laterally
- Latches onto defenders in run-blocking to take them out of the play
- Aggressive off the snap, driving players back into the second level
- Max effort each play to win his assignment
OL Vake Hehea
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Stand out skills:
- Stays low in his crouch to get leverage on blocks
- Nimble on his feet as he gets into the proper position
- Displays nice vision to pick up blitzes and stunts
- Versatile enough to play multiple spots on the line
DL Tonga Paea
Stand out skills:
- Ability to eat up multiple blocks at the line of scrimmage
- Generates a nice interior pass rush with his first step
- Engulfs quarterbacks with his large wingspan
- Good use of a bullrush on OL
LB Keoki Cypriano
Stand out skills:
- Consistently gets in position to get a hand on the ball in coverage
- Strong tackler around the line of scrimmage
- A playmaker who can line up in multiple spots on a defense
- Sees plays develop well and squares up to make a tackle
DB Kydel Stone
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Stand out skills:
- Smooth back pedal and change of direction
- Closes to the ball noticeably well
- Can effectively play press coverage or give cushion to WRs
- Good tackler in the open field
DB Avin Houston
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Stand out skills:
- Able to keep his eyes on the ball to be in position to make a play
- Hard hitter in the back of the secondary
- A great tackler in run support
- Plays through the whistle, not giving up on plays
DB Marquis Richardson
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Stand out skills:
- Tracks the ball well in the air
- Great instincts during plays to flock to the ball
- A violent hitter for receivers coming across the middle of the field
- Can play as a deep safety or near the line of scrimmage
DB Jahren Altura
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Stand out skills:
- Great speed to match the strides of receivers
- Plays deep balls well, beating players to positions, and uses his body to make a play
- Consistent tackler in the open field
- Nice ability to change direction smoothly
DB Brayton Correa
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Stand out skills:
- Great athlete who can play multiple positions in the secondary
- Natural ballhawk with good hands, constantly coming down with balls
- Textbook tackler, squaring up well
- Does a nice job closing in on plays in front of him
ATH Isaiah Nickels
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Stand out skills:
- Plus straight-line speed, creating easy separation
- Polished route-runner who sets up defenders well with his footwork
- Explosive after the catch with change of direction and burst
- Reliable hands to make catches on the move
Team Writer Thoughts:
Jeremy: Timmy Chang and his coaching staff have begun to witness the fruits of their labor in high school recruiting. The 2025 season saw several former high school recruits like quarterback Micah Alejado serve as foundational talents for the Warriors. Chang and co. have once again done a quality job of keeping local talent at home and even finding solid mainland talent. Robert Haynes is the gem of the recruiting class, the highest-ranked signee. Haynes is already enrolled at Hawaii and figures to develop at wide receiver in the hopes that he’s ready to feature in the coming seasons after some of the veterans graduate.
Hawaii struck gold at quarterback with Bishop Gorman star Micah Alejado, so why not run it back? Maika Eugenio is also already enrolled at UH and is competing for the QB2 spot immediately.
I’m a big fan of the local talent Hawaii kept home. Saint Louis defensive back Jahren Altura, Wai’anae’s Vainuupo Fanuaea (who thrived at tight end but is listed an athlete by UH), and Kahuku tight end Christian Sanford-Tupuola are all upside talents I look forward to watching. Slowly but surely we’re starting to see more North Shore talent coming to Manoa. Overall, the balance of young talent to develop and portal additions for an instant injection of talent should continue to serve Hawaii well.
Quick Hits:
(high school players only)
Headliner(s):
Mike: Haynes, Eugenio
Jeremy: Haynes, Eugenio
Prominent Talent:
Mike: Price, Richardson
Jeremy: Stone, Price, Altura, Houston, Fanuaea
Favorite Recruit:
Mike: Richardson, Fanuaea
Jeremy: Fanuaea, Haynes
Sleeper Recruit:
Mike: Troy, Nickels
Jeremy: Tupuola
Best unit:
Mike: Defensive Back, Wide Receiver
Jeremy: Defensive Back, Wide Receiver
Transfer Players
Here is the list of transfer players Hawaii signed. We are moving away from commenting on their film, as it’s often many years outdated by this point, and frankly, it’s become too time-consuming. Jack is doing a tremendous job commenting on transfer players in his transfer tracker. Instead, this section will comment on the class as a whole in terms of attempting to address needs and overall philosophy.
QB Bjorn Jurgensen
RB Devon Rice
WR Audric Harris
WR Tre Griffiths
WR Carson Brown
WR Devin Alves
OL Denaris Derosa
OL Lipe Moala
OL Khalil Walker
DL Spencer Elliot
DL Ozzy Pollard
DL Geoffrey Speight Jr
DL Adam Tomczyk
DB Kodi Decambra
DB Jaylon Edmond
DB Caleb Brown
DB Joenel Figueroa
DB Jeremiah Hughes
The Rainbow Warriors covered most positions, but it seems clear they feel good about their tight end and linebacker depth, as those were the two spots they did not add any players. They secured a backup quarterback, which is important even though they have an unquestioned starter. The real emphasis seems to be at the skill positions, with the additions of four wide receivers and five defensive backs. The Hawaii offense needs lots of WRs and portal players know they can pile up stats if they go there. Likewise, the secondary will get a makeover with so many new players entering the fold. The new players on both sides of the trenches could end up being significant if any of them can step into key roles for the 2026 season.
Summary:
Hawaii didn’t have a lot of room to add new players, which is a positive sign of stability. The influx of local players and the continuation of the Nevada pipeline continues to be successful, and it is worth comparing the talent level of those players year to year to see if they are able to sign high quality recruits. Their recruiting style isn’t the envy of the conference, but it is producing players who fit the system and understand the culture and that is important for mid-majors. Especially for ones as unique as Hawaii. The transfer philosophy is important to, as the coaching staff can find plug-and-play athletes, as well as provide a homecoming for local talent who miss the islands. While it leaves little margin for error, having a plan and being able to execute it already puts Hawaii ahead of many other G6 teams.
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