LAS VEGAS >> University of Hawaii head coach Nick Rolovich said he expects to decide on a starting quarterback after the second week of the coming football training camp.
The Warriors open camp on Sunday. The first practice is the following day.
Ikaika Woolsey, Beau Reilly and Aaron Zwahlen took the majority of reps in spring training, but none seized the No. 1 job.
The Warriors added four quarterbacks this summer — freshman Cole McDonald of Sonora High, Dru Brown of College of San Mateo, Cole Brownholtz of Sierra College, and Marshall transfer Kyle Gallup. Hunter Hughes, who joined after a tryout in the spring, also is on the roster.
“Somebody is going to have to start,” Rolovich said. “There’s somebody who’s going to end up as the seventh string. This might not be their time (for the lower-string players).”
Woolsey and safety Daniel Lewis are representing the Warriors at this week’s Mountain West Conference Media Days in Las Vegas. Woolsey is the only Warrior quarterback to have played in an NCAA Division I game. Reilly practiced as the No. 2 quarterback in the second half of the 2015 season. Zwahlen redshirted last year after returning from a church mission. Gallup redshirted at Marshall.
Rolovich said there will be extended passing drills the first week of camp. The sessions will include simultaneous 7-on-7 drills.
“There will be some logistics as far as coaches having to be split up on certain fields,” Rolovich said. “That’ll be good film work. We’ll get close to double the plays, I hope, that helps quarterbacks and (defensive backs) get more work. Then we’ll kind of pull back after the first week and start narrowing it down a little bit.”
The Warriors will have their second training-camp scrimmage on Aug. 13.
“I would think by the 13th, after the scrimmage, we should be pretty close to announcing a starter (at quarterback),” Rolovich said.
After that, two or three quarterbacks will take the majority of snaps in team and 7-on-7 drills. Two quarterbacks will be used to run the scout-team offense. The rest will take mental reps.
Asked about a platoon system at quarterback, Rolovich said: “I’d rather not. But I think there are a couple of guys who bring some (specific) skills. I’m not against it, but it has to make sense.”
Woolsey is the lone senior quarterback. Gallup and Zwahlen have four seasons of eligibility remaining. Reilly is a third-year sophomore. Brown and Brownholtz are junior college transfers who have three UH seasons remaining.
Rolovich said one of his former teammates should serve as inspiration for UH’s developing quarterbacks.
“I look at a guy like Shawn Withy-Allen, who was in our system for four or five years and really learned the ins and outs,” Rolovich said. “He had an incredible attitude about being a part of this team, and never stopped working. And he got better and better and contributed to some wins.”
Rolovich added: “I’m into building some guys who can at least run the offense, and we’ll see who can elevate from there.”