Hawaii

Hawaii's offseason was defined by the departure of Jackson Harris, whose 53.6 PPA production headed to LSU and left a gaping hole in an already fragile passing attack. The Warriors rank 83rd nationally in JP+'s preseason power ratings at -3.0 points, with both offense (-1.7, 82nd) and defense (-1.7, 83rd) grading as below-average units. Quarterback Micah Alejado returns as the starter, but he'll need to develop chemistry with transfer additions like Devin Alves from Virginia Tech and Carson Brown from Iowa State after losing Harris and Brandon White to the portal.

JP+ projects 6.1 wins for Hawaii in a schedule that includes brutal road tests at Arizona State and Stanford but features winnable home games against San Jose State and New Mexico State. The Warriors face structural uncertainty on both sides of the ball — offensive continuity sits at dangerous levels with just 7% of targets returning, while defensive coverage attrition creates questions in the secondary. If Alejado can quickly integrate the new receivers and the defense finds adequate coverage replacements, Hawaii could push toward bowl eligibility. If not, another long season awaits in paradise.