Kapena Gushiken

Steven Kapena (kuh-PEN-uh) Gushiken (GUH-shi-kin) grew up outside of Maui, Hawaii, with his parents (Steven and Robin Gushiken). He attended Kamehameha High School all four years and competed in basketball, football, track and volleyball. Lining up primarily at cornerback, he earned all-conference honors as a junior, but he missed the second half of the season because of a broken collarbone. His senior year in 2020 was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A no-star recruit, he signed with Saddleback Community College in Southern California. He became a three-star junior college recruit and signed with Washington State, where he played for two seasons as a traveling nickel. He was awarded a fifth-season of eligibility by the NCAA because of his juco years and transferred to Ole Miss in 2025. Having played a versatile nickel/boundary role for the Rebels, Gushiken has outstanding speed, which also pops on special teams. He has the route awareness to drive from depth or stay attached in man-cover looks. Although he lacks ideal height and length, Gushiken has a compact body type with tight skin and muscular definition. He is tough as a tackler, but wild angles and breakdown skills lead to yards-after-catch plays for the offense. His coaches rave about his football passion and work ethic. Overall, Gushiken is both cut up and twitched up, with run-pass instincts from the nickel position. His athletic profile and toughness translate well to special teams, which will be his ticket to standing out as a rookie.