LAS VEGAS — The Rolex watch he was sporting on his left wrist. The major preseason accolades he was voted for. The large scrum that appeared at his media availability on Wednesday. Life is good for Micah Alejado, starting quarterback for the University of Hawai‘i football team.
Alejado only started one game in his true freshman season in 2024, a five-touchdown performance against New Mexico in the season finale. Although he was established as the team's starter entering the 2025 season, he was largely an unknown commodity heading into the year.
Despite severely injuring his right leg in Hawai‘i's 2025 season-opening win against Stanford, Alejado went on to play 11 games, most of them compromised. Alejado threw for 3,106 yards and 24 touchdowns to just nine interceptions, completing 66.3% of his passes. For his efforts, Alejado was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
Alejado's decision to come back for another year, despite the annual transfer portal temptations a player of his caliber demands, was the impetus of Hawai‘i's promising outlook for 2026, with some even predicting the Rainbow Warriors could make the College Football Playoff.
Prior to the 2026 season, Alejado has certainly caught the attention of college football by now. On Wednesday, he was named the Mountain West Conference's preseason Offensive Player of the Year in addition to making the preseason all-conference team. Despite all the increased attention he's received over the course of a year, Alejado is trying to take it in stride.
"It's a blessing. It's my job to go enjoy it, but it's also my job to understand that nothing has happened yet," Alejado told Aloha State Daily of the preseason accolades. "Still no stats yet, and it's our job to go win some football games. We have to go prove ourselves. If I'm gonna be tabbed preseason Player of the Year, I gotta go play like it, right? I gotta go prove myself, and that's the biggest thing, especially as a team. We're nothing yet. We haven't earned any respect. We haven't proved anything yet in 2026. It's about going out there and winning football games. It starts at fall camp next week. So, I'm very excited, ready to attack the challenge and everything that comes with it."
When the Alejado family moved to Nevada to pursue Micah's football career, it was a true family decision, and the Alejados have made the Silver State their second home.
"I try to come back (often)," Alejado says of Las Vegas. "Just being able to go to my bedroom, driving my car. I think those are things I took for granted because that's really my home. I love the scenery here. I love the strip. You can't get the strip in Hawai‘i. It's bright lights. I went to the UFC fight last week. You go to concerts, things like that. Las Vegas has it all."
Alejado has taken on an increased leadership role heading into 2026, a responsibility head coach Timmy Chang believes is a strength.
"I think there's so much he's got going for himself," Chang said. "He knows what it takes to win at a high level and he knows that he can't do it alone. It's great to see him grow and develop and continue but his leadership is where we want him to continue to grow, but it continues to remain one of his strengths."
As he enters his second full season as UH's starting quarterback, Alejado is ready to begin anew. If he can stay healthy, he believes there's another level that can be unlocked.
"Definitely pain free," said Alejado, who was held out of live reps in the spring in order to rehab his foot. "(The offseason plan) is working really well for me. Getting back to 100% worked really well this offseason, and I feel better than ever right now. Faster, stronger, quicker than I was before I got hurt. I was just blessed to be able to go through those six months and just to rehab and get it better and get it stronger again. I'm excited to get back and show everybody in fall camp that I'm back to normal and even better."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
