Hawaii football missing leading receiver vs. Stanford

On Saturday, Hawaii football will begin its season against Stanford. Last year, the Rainbow Warriors won 23-20 on a game-winning 38-yard field goal by Kansei Matsuzawa.

However, the Rainbow Warriors will play the game without their leading receiver, Pofele Ashlock, due to a knee injury, per Pete Thamel of ESPN.

Head coach Timmy Chang confirmed the news.

Last year, Ashlock led the way with 76 receptions. He also finished the season with 827 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns, and caught 10 passes for more than 20 yards. Along the way, Ashlock earned the second-team All-Mountain West honors.

NEWS: Hawaii will be without leading receiver Pofele Ashlock (knee) against Stanford today, coach Timmy Chang told ESPN. Ashlock earned second-team All-Mountain West last year and led the team with 76 receptions. He had 827 yards, 8 touchdowns and 10 catches of moe than 20 yards. pic.twitter.com/CdbdZsx31u

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 29, 2026

Ashlock committed to Hawaii after going unranked in 2022. In his first season, Ashlock redshirted before playing in 13 games in 2023. He finished his first season with 83 receptions for 832 yards and nine touchdowns. This led all first-year students in receiving yards.

Last year, the Rainbow Warriors finished the season at 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the Mountain West. Ultimately, Hawaii engineered a 21-point comeback win over Cal at the Hawaii Bowl. During that game, Ashlock recorded 14 receptions for 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In the end, Ashlock came away with the Hawaii Bowl MVP honors. more

The Rainbow Warriors have played against Stanford since Dec. 23, 1946. Altogether, they have played five games.

Currently, Stanford has the edge with a 4-1 record. It was last year that the Rainbow Warriors came away with their first victory of the series.

In last year’s game, Ashlock recorded 9 receptions for 69 receiving yards, including a touchdown for 25 yards.

Ashlock is entering his second season. He hails from Euless, Texas, and attended Trinity High School.

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