These days, Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado is flexing his knowledge at “Muscle Beach.”
During the Rainbow Warriors’ spring football practices, players recovering from injuries are assigned to the physical rehabilitation program known as Muscle Beach, where they stretch, pull or lift objects, and move as quickly as possible.
Alejado played most of the 2025 season with injuries to his right ankle, left foot and left (throwing) shoulder.
“The biggest goal is getting my strength back and being able to have (ailments) not hurt,” said Alejado, whose troubles began when he suffered an ankle injury on a hip-drop takedown in the season opener. He aggravated the injury in the second game, sat out the next two weeks, then played in the Mountain West opener against Fresno State.
“Ultimately I prayed before every game, prayed every night for protection and strength,” Alejado said. “I just had to suck it up and see the big picture of it.”
After the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Alejado underwent X-rays and an MRI.
“Ultimately, I didn’t want surgery,” Alejado said. “I don’t want to put anything into my body.”
Rest and physical therapy have proved to be helpful. Each spring practice, Alejado jogs, does crunches, lifts, and then does all-out sprints.
“I’m doing as much as I can doing physical therapy on the side,” said Alejado, who also participates in yoga and Pilates sessions. “Trying to help my ankle get more balance and strength.”
After that, Alejado helps tutor backup quarterbacks Maika Eugenio and Bjorn Jurgensen in passing drills and scrimmage-like sessions. The first-year Warriors are splitting the quarterback reps this spring.
“Micah’s teaching them all the little things,” quarterbacks coach Chad Kapanui said. “I think having Micah on the sideline really helps the quarterbacks because they’re new and they’re trying to learn the offense as quickly as possible.”
In 2023, Alejado accelerated his studies to graduate a semester early from Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High. He enrolled at UH in January 2024. He played the maximum four games to qualify for a redshirt for the 2024 season. He was the starting quarterback in 2025. At the end of the season, all three backup quarterbacks departed the program — Luke Weaver transferred to San Jose State, Demaricus Davis went to Cal Poly, and Caleb Freeman completed his NCAA eligibility.
Eugenio, similar to Ajejado’s path, graduated early from Bishop Gorman and enrolled at UH last month. After redshirting in his only semester at Virginia, Jurgensen joined the Warriors this year.
“The new group is completely opposite (of last season),” Alejado said. “Last. year, I was the youngest. Now I’m the oldest. Eugenio is a true freshman. Bjorn is in the second semester of college. I’m getting them acclimated because they’re still new.”
Alejado has guided Eugenio and Jurgensen in video sessions. The quarterbacks study videos of each practice and various games from past seasons.
“The position is hard because you need to know everything,” Kapanui said. “People think it’s just the routes. There’s a lot more, from pre-snap reads to motions to shifts to knowing the snap points when they’re motioning. There are a lot of things going on. Then you have to read the post-snap coverages. Getting in the film room helps.”
Alejado issued this advice to the quarterbacks:
“On the field, you’ve got to get as many reps as you can. Things fly by really quickly. Our offense is very fine-line with details. You need to get into the playbook and watch as much film as you can.”
Head coach Timmy Chang said Alejado is “doing a great job of mentoring and being accountable and being a leader.”
