Polynesian Bowl: Top performers on Day 1
HONOLULU – The 2025 Polynesian Bowl got underway Monday, and it is the final all-star game in the string of events that begin the new year. Like others have done, the Polynesian Bowl has opened its game up to a collection of junior prospects who certainly have already made their mark just one day into the event.
There will be four days of practice before Friday’s game that will match up Team Mauka and Team Makai at Kamehameha High School in Honolulu.
Monday’s practice was mostly a light day of work with a lot of routes on air and individual drills plus some team periods sprinkled in throughout the day.
That meant a greater emphasis on the skill position groups since it was a helmets-and-shorts day for the players. The guys in the trenches will get their moment Tuesday, but here is a list of who we thought opened the week with a strong showing in Hawaii.
You are going to stand out on any day when you have a couple interceptions as a defensive back, and that was the case on Day 1 in Hawaii for the Georgia Tech signee. The fourth-ranked safety in the class showed why he is rated as high as he is with a pair of interceptions plus a pass breakup in the two-hour practice Monday.
Harris plays the game with a ton of confidence, and he was the most active defensive playmaker we saw Monday.
The 6-foot-2 receiver from Hattiesburg, Miss., is one of the top-rated prospects participating in this week’s event, and he showed why on numerous occasions Monday. The No. 3 receiver in the 2026 class is one of the juniors invited to play in this year’s Polynesian Bowl, and he outshined many of his older peers on Day 1.
There are some players who just carry themselves in a different way than others, and Keys looked a cut above the rest of the group as he worked with Team Mauka. He had one of the best catches of the day on a play up the sideline as he went airborne to haul in the pass.
The Memphis-bound signal caller is imposing at 6-foot-4 and around 220 pounds, so he naturally stands out when looking at him on the field. Time and again Monday, Hill looked like the most locked-in quarterback. It wasn’t always about making the big play for the Georgia native on Day 1 as he did a good job of reading the defense and making the right play more often than not.
Hill also did a nice job of fitting the ball into tight windows and showcasing his arm strength throughout the team periods.
Five-star recruits always will have a certain amount of expectation placed on them no matter what event or game they show up to throughout their careers. Whether he likes it or not, the Oregon-bound receiver from Texas has a reputation for being dominant. That can sometimes be difficult to live up to, but Moore has continually been a top performer every time he steps on the field.
That was again the case Monday as he had multiple impressive plays and capped the day by winning the Fastest Man competition to close out the first practice by beating Ole Miss signee Winston Watkins Jr., who is a speedster in his own right.
Moore’s track background and ability to create separation with his speed sets him apart, and he showed that again Monday.
Already committed to South Carolina despite being just a junior, the Rock Hill, S.C., native left no doubt about his talent on Day 1 in Hawaii. It has been a big winter already for Currence, who looks the part of a high-level defensive playmaker. He’s active and was around the ball a ton during Monday’s team work, and he exudes confidence.
Currence shined during the Navy All-American Bowl week as an underclassman as well, and he’s started off his week in Honolulu on the right note.
There’s a bit of a youth movement in the secondary for Team Muka, and the 6-foot safety shined on the first day of practices in Hawaii. The four-star defensive back has already gained a ton of recruiting attention, and it’s easy to see why with his ability to disrupt passing plays and stick in coverage really anywhere on the field. He was a tough matchup for receivers on Day 1.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who was having more fun on Day 1 of practice in Honolulu than the Missouri-bound receiver from Illinois. He will get to campus following this week’s game and begin preparing for his career with the Tigers, but he was already looking the part of a reliable weapon on Day 1 of practice in Hawaii.
Olugbode became a bit of a safety net for the quarterbacks on Team Makai, USC-bound signal caller Husan Longstreet and Arkansas signee Madden Iamaleava. He worked without gloves for a portion of the practice, maybe just to show off his hands a bit, but it was rare that a ball was on the ground when thrown in his direction on Day 1.
His best play came in a situation when he had to come back and battle for a ball up the sideline that ended with Olugbode snagging the pass before Auburn commit Wayne Henry could get to it.
Another safety net on offense for Team Makai on Monday was the big 6-foot-6 Tennessee signee from Kansas. It wasn’t about making the dazzling play for Brame on Day 1, but he managed to find soft spots in the defense with regularity to make the sure play in a lot of the team situations when he was being targeted.
He made a couple contested plays over the middle of the field and was useful in the flat as well, giving his quarterbacks a check-down option with regularity throughout the practice.
Team Makai is down to two quarterbacks this week following a decision by Oregon signee Akili Smith Jr. to not attend this week’s event. That means a ton of reps being split by Longstreet and Iamaleava in the coming days.
Longstreet has a confidence about his game that is impressive, and he was willing to take some chances on tough throws during Day 1 action. He really did a nice job of working the sideline and had an impressive throw on the move to Olugbode during the team period.
There will be a lot on Longstreet’s shoulders when he eventually takes the field for the Trojans, but he certainly has the tools to make his mark on the college game.
It was a little bit of a challenge for any defenders outside of the secondary to stand out during Monday’s practice, but the Arizona State-bound linebacker from nearby Mililani made his presence felt on Day 1. He intercepted Longstreet during the team period on a pass that was thrown behind him. Iosefa redirected his body and made the play in front of Olugbode, showcasing his ability to play in space.
