The season opener is 129 days away and the Hawaii football team has had only 10 spring practices with the resurrected run-and-shoot offense, but it appears Cole McDonald has the early lead in the quarterback competition.

“The last two days, Cole has been playing pretty well,” head coach Nick Rolovich said of spring practices on Saturday and Tuesday. “I’m not going to say that (McDonald is No. 1), but I want to see him keep improving because he’s making plays. He’s seeing things. He’s taking steps to really grab the whole deal.”

During the scrimmage-like session on Tuesday, McDonald and slotback Cedric Byrd collaborated on a 75-yard, catch-and-sprint touchdown. On the next play, McDonald sprinted 75 yards on a keeper for a touchdown.

“Dual-threat quarterbacks are dangerous, and we’re lucky to have one as good as him,” wideout Marcus Armstrong-Brown said of McDonald.

Jeremy Moussa, who enrolled at UH in January after receiving his high-school diploma a semester early, has displayed a powerful arm during passing drills. Justin Uahinui, who will be a second-year freshman in the fall, has demonstrated accuracy. But McDonald, who will be a third-year sophomore, has proven to be a leader on and off the field.

“When I first got here,” said Byrd, who transferred from Long Beach City College in January, “I saw him out there throwing. We just set up (a workout schedule). Ever since, he’s been throwing to me every day.”

In Tuesday’s second team session, three of McDonald’s first four completions went to Byrd, who can run 40 yards in sub-4.4 seconds.

“He gets open,” McDonald said. “Man to man, he’s a good guy I can rely on. He’s someone I can get the ball out to quickly and on time, and I know he’s going to make a play.”

Byrd said: “I like that he’s accurate. All our QBs are accurate. (McDonald’s) passes come in nice.”

The quarterbacks and receivers also watch football videos together.

“We’re working hard and trying to get better every day,” McDonald said.

The passing game is undergoing a makeover. Dru Brown, who started 22 games in a row at quarterback, is transferring to Oklahoma State. Starting wideouts Ammon Barker and Keelan Ewaliko graduated in December. Slotback Dylan Collie is transferring to Brigham Young. And John Ursua, last year’s top receiver, is being held out of spring training while he completes his recovery from knee surgery. But two wideouts who were held out because of ailments — Armstrong-Brown and Drake Stallworth — resumed practicing on Tuesday. And Karson Greeley, who joined as a walk-on quarterback last summer, has emerged as a threat at wideout.

During the 2017 season, Rolovich asked Greeley if he would consider moving from quarterback to tight end. Greeley agreed. With the installation of the run-and-shoot, which does not employ a full-time tight end, Greeley moved to wideout.

“As a quarterback, it’s kind of easy to transfer to receiver because you already know what’s going on,” Greeley said.

Armstrong-Brown and Stallworth indicated the mental reps they took while sidelined eased their return to action.

“I worked it to my advantage,” Armstrong-Brown said. “So when I came back today, the game was pretty slow. I was definitely reading things on the fly faster than I expected.”

Stallworth concurred, saying, “I tried to get involved any way I could. (Watching in practice) helped me learn the offense a little better. Now it’s a lot easier when I’m out there.”

Meanwhile, McDonald said he is not concerned about his place on the depth chart.

“Right now, I consider myself competing for the job,” McDonald said. “Until the first snap at Colorado State (for the opener), nothing is guaranteed.”