The University of Hawaii football team has received a 2026 commitment from the starting quarterback for one of the nation’s top high school football programs.
Maika Eugenio of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas made his pledge on Saturday with the possibility of enrolling at UH in January. He is on track to graduate after the coming fall semester. There are eight Bishop Gorman alumni, including starting quarterback Micah Alejado, on the Rainbow Warriors’ roster for the 2025-26 academic year. UH associate head coach Chris Brown and quarterbacks coach Chad Kapanui also coached at Bishop Gorman.
“He’s a good quarterback with a really strong arm,” Bishop Gorman offensive coordinator Craig Canfield said of the 6-foot, 180-pound Eugenio.
Eugenio was born on Oahu and lived in Kapolei through fifth grade before his family moved to Las Vegas. His father, Matt Eugenio, was on Roosevelt High’s coaching staff when Kapanui played for the Rough Riders in the late 1990s.
As a freshman and sophomore, Eugenio was a backup quarterback to Alejado. After Alejado’s departure in December 2023, Melvin Spicer IV was named the starting quarterback last year. In the fifth game, Eugenio took over the starting job. He threw six touchdown passes in a victory over Orange Lutheran High.
Eugenio was 9-0 as the Gaels’ starter. He completed 69.8% of his passes (104-for-149) for 2,043 yards and 31 touchdowns against two interceptions. He also showed he could reach all branches of the passing tree. Eugenio claims he can throw a pass at least 70 yards on the fly.
Eugenio also is an internet star, often referred to as the “GOAT” on YouTube videos because of his play in OT7 7-on-7 football tournaments.
Eugenio will be reunited with Brown, who doubled as Bishop Gorman’s strength/conditioning coach, and Kapanui, who was the Gaels’ QB coach for four years. Kapanui, a former UH quarterback, linebacker and safety, joined the Warriors in April as successor to Dan Morrison, who retired.
