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Jamih Otis Fall Camp Day One

Football Jonathan Chen

Rainbow Warriors Open Fall Camp Ahead Of Aug. 23 Season Opener

The University of Hawai'i football team kick-started year four under head coach Timmy Chang with the first practice of the 2025 fall camp on Wednesday at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.

"There's this high energy on the first day," Chang said. "The key is to keep that energy through the weeks as it goes. Week two, week three of training camp, then further down the road. We tell the guys it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. If we can be consistent, continue the growth mindset—we talk about getting 1% better all the time—if we can continue to do that, we'll be all right." 

"It's a great feeling to be out here," safety Peter Manuma said. "Shout out to the guys. They worked their butts off this offseason. They bought in, they trusted the coaching and just worked hard, no complaints. It's been nothing but hard work for the guys, so it's exciting to come out here. Everybody's excited to finally put on a helmet, put on the cleats and actually play football now."

Wednesday's practice, which kicks off the countdown to the season opener at home against Stanford on August 23rd, was a chance for the Rainbow Warriors to focus on the fundamentals and to work on the little things. 

Group Fall Camp Day One

"For our first practice coming out here in helmets, we really wanted to be detailed in our fundamentals, and on our technique," Chang said. "The simple things that are going to win us games. We have a slogan, 'be great at simple.' That's what we wanted to do today; paying a lot of attention to just the littlest things, you know, their stance, their first two steps, their eyes, their feet, their hands. Those are the little things in the battles that they're going to need."

Chang and the coaching staff decided to change things up for this fall camp. Instead of practice beginning in the early morning, the 'Bows took to the field at 11:00 a.m. to simulate the conditions of the 1:30 p.m. kickoff of the Stanford game.

Chang noted:  "It'll be hot down here, and so we want to make sure that we give our guys the best opportunity to face what they're gonna see. Put them in the elements. We figured the first two games, here and in Tucson, will be pretty hot for us."

"I feel like it'll definitely get us ready because last season when we played UCLA at around the same time, that was a way different game," Manuma said about the midday heat. "Shout out to the coaches and the support staff for coming up with this idea ahead of week zero. Some guys are still trying to adjust to that Hawai'i heat. Seeing everybody learn and how everybody takes care of their own bodies, I feel like we did good."

Manuma is one of seven returning starters on defense, with 13 total starters returning across all three phases of the game. As NIL continues to change the college football landscape, the continuity in the roster is a welcome sight for Chang.
 
"We're really happy and proud of our staff and the leaders in the community, helping us retain our players in the world of NIL. Because of them, the consistency can start to happen. Guys like Pofele Ashlock, Peter Manuma that's been here now four years. Nick Cenacle, Tariq Jones. Those are great players for us. With them being in the system as long as they are, it just all helps. If you've got continuity, you're going to have consistency."

Manuma, one of the key returning starters and a 2024 captain, also became a father this offseason.

"I'm still trying to find that fine line between taking care of my daughter and trying to be here for the team, but like I said, my wife is doing a great job at home, taking care of our baby. Even though she went through what she went through during pregnancy and still sacrificing for not only me, but for our daughter also. Shout out to her, she's really the backbone."

Peter Manuma Fall Camp Day One

Now in the second year of defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman's system, Manuma, fellow returning starters Jones, Jamar Sekona, Jalen Smith, Justin Sinclair, Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen, Elijah Palmer, and the rest of the defensive are beginning to settle in.

"Not only myself, but I feel like the whole defense is comfortable," Manuma said. "We spend time studying not only our position, but the whole defense. If there's one little thing wrong, I could call it out, I can call it out from the safety spot. I feel like everybody's just bought in, and everybody is trying to learn the defense, trying to make the adjustments we didn't have last year so we can make the adjustments on the fly on the field."

Thurman is one of nine coordinators and position coaches from 2024 to return. The only coach not to return was quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison, who retired after the 2024 season. Replacing Morrison is Rainbow Warrior football alum Chad Kapanui. Kapanui brings with him not only familiarity with the run-and-shoot offense, but also familiarity with Alejado, who he worked with as Bishop Gorman's quarterbacks coach.

Alejado entered his first offseason as the presumed QB1 this past spring, and his growth as both the starting QB and a leader in the locker room has continued into the fall.

"The personal thing for me this offseason was just being able to take the lead with the offense and just being able to take that leadership role and bring everybody together," Alejado said. "A lot of the leadership took place this offseason and a lot of guys rose to the top. The more leaders you have on the team, the better and the stronger you're going to be. Coming out today was fun. Everybody's energetic, everybody's ready, and if we could skip fall camp, and go straight to Stanford, we would. But we'll get through this fall camp and compete with one another and be ready for August 23rd."

"He is everything you want in a QB," Chang said about Alejado. "He takes the bull by the horns. He's very vocal. He leads by example. He has a mindset about him that he doesn't want to fail in anything. So when you have a guy like that leading your offense and your team, the other guys take notice. He got to watch and back up Brayden (Schager) last year and now it's his turn. He had a game last year under his belt, I really think the game last year really helped him in this offseason to have that voice and that platform. Now he's just kind of running with it. So our job is just to lead him in the right direction and be on the same page with him and let him take over."

Micah Alejado Fall Camp Day One

This offseason, Hawai'i added a pair of former state offensive players of the year in Kainoa "Kaikai" Carvalho and Titan Lacaden.

"We talked about it all summer as we watched them come into the program together," Chang said. "To get two offensive state players of the year like that, and Tama Uiliata on top of that. I mean, that's what you want. You want the boys to stay home and to represent us. And they're going to do an unbelievable job. They're hungry, they compete against each other. You just want them to compete and represent Hawai'i. They're gonna be a voice out there, so I'm excited."

Carvalho and Lacaden will join a potent offense that returns the likes of Ashlock and Nick Cenacle, who combined for 1,350 yards and 12 TDs in the passing game. The offense also added transfers in Stanford receiver Jackson Harris and Kentucky receiver Brandon White, while returnees like Uiliata and Karsyn Pupunu will look to carve out a bigger role.

The 'Bows also return three starting offensive linemen in Kuao Peihopa, James Milovale, and Zhen Sotelo.

It's only been one day, but Chang likes what he is seeing from his team this fall.
 
"They've had the best offseason since we've been together," Chang said. "You know they were focused. They have the three years of experience that they can lean on and how we can just continue to get better, you know, start faster. We have six games off the bat before our first bye. Everything that we've done in the offseason to this point right now, it's about starting fast, and being ready, being prepared, being available. Tomorrow's practice will look different, but today they got off to a great start."
 
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Players Mentioned

Pofele Ashlock

#5 Pofele Ashlock

WR
6' 2"
Sophomore
Nick Cenacle

#3 Nick Cenacle

WR
6' 2"
Junior
Tariq Jones

#5 Tariq Jones

DL
6' 2"
Junior
Peter Manuma

#1 Peter Manuma

DB
6' 0"
Junior
Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen

#29 Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen

DB
6' 1"
Junior
James Milovale

#70 James Milovale

OL
6' 6"
Junior
Elijah Palmer

#9 Elijah Palmer

DB
5' 8"
Sophomore
Kuao Peihopa

#59 Kuao Peihopa

OL
6' 3"
Junior
Karsyn Pupunu

#11 Karsyn Pupunu

WR
6' 2"
Senior
Justin Sinclair

#6 Justin Sinclair

DB
5' 10"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Pofele Ashlock

#5 Pofele Ashlock

6' 2"
Sophomore
WR
Nick Cenacle

#3 Nick Cenacle

6' 2"
Junior
WR
Tariq Jones

#5 Tariq Jones

6' 2"
Junior
DL
Peter Manuma

#1 Peter Manuma

6' 0"
Junior
DB
Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen

#29 Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen

6' 1"
Junior
DB
James Milovale

#70 James Milovale

6' 6"
Junior
OL
Elijah Palmer

#9 Elijah Palmer

5' 8"
Sophomore
DB
Kuao Peihopa

#59 Kuao Peihopa

6' 3"
Junior
OL
Karsyn Pupunu

#11 Karsyn Pupunu

6' 2"
Senior
WR
Justin Sinclair

#6 Justin Sinclair

5' 10"
Senior
DB