LAS VEGAS — The Mountain West Conference announced its 2026 preseason all-conference football team on Wednesday at the start of the conference's Media Days, with four University of Hawai'i student-athletes earning recognition. Quarterback Micah Alejado, wide receiver Pofele Ashlock, defensive back Elijah Palmer, and linebacker Jamih Otis were all named to the preseason All-Mountain West team. Meanwhile, Alejado took home the league's top individual honor as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
 
Alejado joins an elite company of Rainbow Warriors: he is the first UH player to be named a preseason conference player of the year since Bryant Moniz earned the honor in the WAC prior to the 2011 season. Legendary quarterbacks Colt Brennan (2007) and Timmy Chang (2004) also gained the distinction. 
 
Alejado, the 2025 MW Freshman of the Year, completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,106 yards and 24 touchdowns, while adding 105 rushing yards and a score on the ground in his first year as a starter. He capped off the season with a stellar performance in a 35-31 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl victory over Cal, throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns.
 
Ashlock continues to be one of the most reliable and productive wideouts in the conference. In 2025, he hauled in 76 catches for 827 yards and eight touchdowns. Across three seasons in Mānoa, the veteran receiver has racked up 220 career receptions for 2,288 yards and 23 touchdowns, making him the centerpiece of UH's Run-and-Shoot receiving corps.
 
Palmer returns to anchor the Rainbow Warrior secondary. A two-time All-Mountain West honorable mention over the last two seasons, Palmer broke up 10 passes during his junior campaign. Over his collegiate career, the physical defensive back has registered 121 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and five interceptions.
 
Otis, a hard-hitting presence in the middle of the Hawai'i defense, finished second on the team last year with 60 total stops and two forced fumbles. He has earned MW Defensive Player of the Week honors twice during his career. Otis appeared in 36 straight games to start his career – including 11 straight starts last year – before being sidelined for the final two games of 2025.
 
Alejado, Otis, Palmer and Cam Barfield  – all natives of Las Vegas who prepped at Bishop Gorman High School, are representing Hawai'i at the MW Media Days.
 
They are joined by head coach Timmy Chang, who enters Year 5 at the helm of the Warriors. Chang has compiled a 22-29 career record at his alma mater and guided UH to a 9-4 record and a Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl victory last season. Hawai'i will officially open fall camp later this month in preparation for the 2026 season opener at Stanford on August 29.
 
The Warriors open the 2026 season on Aug. 29 at Stanford and play their home opener at Clarence T.C. Ching Complex on Sept. 5 vs. UNLV.

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