SI Hawaii Preseason All-State High School Football Team unveiled as 2026 set to kick off

Hawaii will have the national high school football spotlight to itself when the 2026 season opens this weekend, with several of the state’s top teams and prospects taking the field.

Several teams ranked in the Hawaii Elite 12 Preseason High School Football rankings will be in action, including the top three programs entering the 2026 season. No. 1 St. Louis visits No. 2 Kahuku on Oahu's North Shore on Saturday, while defending Open Division state champion and preseason No. 3 Campbell visits No. 11 Waipahu on Friday.

That also means many of the state's top football prospects will take the field for the first time, including Class of 2027 standouts including Farrington offensive lineman Isaiah Bertola (Cal), Kamehameha Kapalama linebacker Linkin Apana (TCU), Campbell safety Isaiah Chong (Sacramento State) and St. Louis defensive lineman Stone Ah Quin, among others.

That quartet, all ranked among the state's top recruits, are members of High School On SI's Hawaii Preseason All-State High School Football Team, presented here as the opening kickoff of the 2026 season approaches.

OFFENSE

QB — Hunter Fujikawa, Mililani, Jr.

When last seen, Fujikawa was in a Punahou uniform, leading his team to a stunning 33-28 victory over St. Louis on Nov. 1 in the final regular-season game of the 2025 season. Just three weeks earlier, the Buffanblu had fallen to the Crusaders, 26-0, but Fujikawa's 274-yard passing performance and four touchdowns in the rematch proved to be the difference. Still just a junior, Fujikawa is now the quarterback at Mililani and the top returning quarterback prospect on the islands. His presence alone makes the Trojans one of the favorites to contend for Hawaii's Open Division title this fall.

RB — Chazz-Michael Kapahu, Kapolei, Sr.

Kapahu rushed for 944 yards and 16 touchdowns on 182 carries last season. His efforts resulted in first-team all-state recognition, and the senior is back for another round as the Hurricanes try to build on a season in which they advanced to Hawaii's Open Division playoffs before falling 31-10 to Kamehameha Kapalama in the semifinals.

RB — Marquez Mellor, Kailua, Sr.

Mellor is a senior who committed to play football at Air Force in June. He previously played for St. Louis in Honolulu and spent time at Las Lomas in Walnut Creek, California. The well-traveled running back enters his final prep campaign as the centerpiece of the Surfriders' offense after earning Division I all-state honors as a junior.

WR — Shaison Kupukaa, Campbell, Sr.

Kupukaa was one of three receivers to earn first-team all-state honors a year ago as one of the stars of Campbell's surprising run to its first Open Division state championship. He has Division I size and skill (6-2, 200) and committed in May to stay home and play for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

WR — Nikko Smith, Kapolei, Sr.

Smith joined Kapahu in earning first-team all-state honors for an explosive Kapolei offense. Along with senior quarterback Jacob Ballesteros, the two form a powerful trio that even dominated eventual state champion Campbell in a 31-13 thrashing last October. The Hurricanes might not be deep enough to make a run at the Open Division state title, but don't be surprised if Smith and company play a role in determining who wins it.

WR — Zion White, Mililani, Sr.

White formerly played at Punahou before spending last season at IMG Academy in Florida. He was limited to 10 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns, but he was one of the stars of the Under Armour All-America Game in January, leading all receivers with five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. He is back in Hawaii for his senior season, teaming with Fujikawa at Mililani to create one of the state’s most dangerous passing combinations. White committed to play for Cal in June.

OL — Isaiah Bertola, Farrington, Sr.

Bertola is a big tackle (6-foot-5, 305 pounds) who chose Cal for his college destination despite holding offers from Oregon, Penn State, Texas and USC, among others. Despite playing for Farrington in an Open Division dominated by heavyweight programs, he earned honorable mention all-state honors last season as a junior.

OL — Chaysten Maauga, Mililani, Jr.

With the addition of Fujikawa at quarterback and four-star prospect White at receiver, Mililani appears loaded on offense. Of course, the Trojans still will need to win the battles in the trenches, and Maauga is an athletic 6-foot-3, 245-pound lineman who will be counted on to protect Mililani’s elite skill players.

OL — Ioane Paselio, Mililani, Jr.

Paselio is another interior line prospect who will play an important role in creating space and time for Mililani's offensive stars to keep the chains moving. He's a solid building block (6-foot-1 1/2, 285) for a line that will need to gel as an elite unit to give the Trojans a chance to climb to the top of the ranks in Hawaii's Open Division.

OL — Randolph Santiago, Kailua, Sr.

Santiago has ideal size (6-foot-6, 275) for a tackle at the next level, with room to add weight to his already substantial frame. It was enough to earn an offer from Washington State, and the Kailua product committed to the Cougars in June.

OL — Brandon Tailele, Kahuku, Sr.

Tailele has earned all-state honors the past two seasons, toiling in the trenches for Kahuku. Last year, he received second-team recognition after the 6-foot-1, 285-pound North Shore product helped anchor the Red Raiders' offensive line. He and his linemates will play a big role this season as Kahuku's offense retools around a new quarterback and looks to reestablish itself as one of the favorites to claim the Open Division title.

ATH — King Pitts, Kapa'a, Jr.

Pitts is listed as an athlete — a four-star prospect whose future position as a collegian has yet to be determined. At 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, his size dictates that he plays on the line in high school, and he is a two-way force, logging time on both the offensive and defensive units. He played for Kapa'a as a freshman before transferring to Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa, California, as a sophomore. He's back at Kapa'a for his junior season, where he could be one of the breakout stars in the Aloha State this fall.

PK — Tyler Fujimoto, Kamehameha Kapalama, Sr.

Fujimoto was a first-team all-state selection at both kicker and punter for Kamehameha Kapalama last season. He's the rare high school specialist who has the potential to win a game when called upon while also changing the flow of the game through field position with his precise punting.

DEFENSE

DL — Stone Ah Quin, St. Louis, Sr.

Ah Quin is a big defensive lineman (6-foot-4, 300) who can dominate the interior of the Crusaders' defensive line, and he'll be counted on to help the state's preseason No. 1 team develop more consistency on that side of the ball. The Crusaders were up and down defensively, but at their best they dominated some of the state's top teams. Ah Quin will be one of the leaders tasked with helping the Crusaders improve the consistency that eluded the defense at times last season.

DL — Zane Fujihara-Faavesi, Konawaena, Sr.

Fujihara-Faavesi is one of the state’s top prospects outside Oahu and the athletic edge rusher (6-foot-3, 215) is drawing interest from several Mountain West programs, including San Diego State and UNLV. He's the highest-rated prospect for a Wildcats program that advanced to Hawaii's Division I playoffs a year ago before losing to Kailua, 24-7.

DL — Trison Satele, Mililani, Jr.

While Mililani's new offensive stars Fujikawa and White are dominating many of the offseason headlines, you can be sure nobody in the islands is overlooking a defense that also features some of the state's top prospects. That includes Trison Satele, the state's top-ranked junior prospect, who anchors one of the defensive line positions. He's considered a lock to play for Oregon at the next level after his older brother, Toa — the Trojans' star linebacker and the state's No. 1 senior prospect — announced his commitment to the Ducks in June.

DL — Kahikapu Young, Leilehua, Sr.

Leilehua was mostly an afterthought after returning to Hawaii's Open Division a year ago, and the Mighty Mules will be hard-pressed to make significant progress as a team in 2026. But they do have a player in Young who is turning heads and drawing interest from FBS programs. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, his athleticism has allowed him to play positions both on the interior and on the edge.

LB — Linkin Apana, Kamehameha Kapalama, Sr.

Apana is a future TCU Horned Frog who played in only four games a year ago but still managed 31 tackles. He and his fellow Warriors nearly pulled off the unthinkable, advancing to the Open Division state championship game before falling to Campbell, 26-23, in overtime in the title tilt.

LB — Siale Reid, Kahuku, Jr.

WIth Kahuku having to retool a bit on offense, it's the defense where the Red Raiders are likely to hang their helmets early in 2026. With talent like linebacker Siale Reid, that's probably not a bad strategy. The only real knock against Reid at this point in his prep career might be that he's a bit undersized (6-foot-1, 195) for the position at the next level. That hasn't been an issue on the North Shore, where Reid recorded 42 tackles a year ago, including two for loss.

LB — Toa Satele, Mililani, Sr.

As noted above, Satele is one half of a brother duo, and he is the state's top-rated prospect at any position in the Class of 2027, while his younger brother, Trison, holds the same distinction for the Class of 2028. So while Mililani's offensive stars are likely to light up scoreboards around Oahu this fall, it's the defense that will determine whether the Trojans are good enough to win their first Open Division state title. The Satele brothers will help determine whether that defense is simply good or truly elite in 2026.

DB — Isaiah Chong, Campbell, Sr.

Chong is one of the main holdovers from Campbell's 2025 state championship squad. The senior safety committed to Sacramento State, one of two new FBS programs this fall, and if there's any chance of the Sabers repeating as the Open Division champions, it will depend largely on players such as Chong again playing at an elite level.

DB — Nui Gilman, Mililani, Jr.

Gilman gives Mililani an all-state prospect in each of its defensive units, joining the Satele brothers. The junior safety will be counted on to make plays in the passing game for the Trojans as they face some of the state's best offenses on a weekly basis while also stepping up in run support. If the Trojans can put an elite defense on the field with Gilman playing an important role, they just might be the best team in the islands when all is said and done.

DB — Takazee Thomas, Kapa'a, Jr.

Thomas was one of the Friday night heroes on the island of Kauai after earning first-team all-state honors for Kapa'a a year ago. He helped lead the Warriors to the Division I state championship game, where they suffered a narrow 13-9 loss to Kailua. Another strong season from Thomas will help determine whether the Warriors can make another run at the title, with a rematch against Kailua potentially in the cards.

DB — Ethan Toia, 'Aiea, Sr.

Three losses to Kailua a year ago, including back-to-back setbacks at the end of the season, ultimately defined 'Aiea's 2025 campaign. Toia returns after earning first-team all-state honors as a junior, and if the Na Alii are to break through in 2026, it will be because the team's stars played up to their full potential.

RS — Nikko Smith, Kapolei, Sr.

Smith joins kicker-punter Fujimoto as one of two players named to multiple positions on SI's preseason all-state team. The receiver is also one of the most dangerous return specialists in the islands.

P — Tyler Fujimoto, Kamehameha Kapalama, Sr.

As noted above, Fujimoto is a versatile specialist is also the kicker here for SI's preseason all-state team.

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