A lefty thrower, Schroeder made a good right-hand man

Going into a season opener against the No. 3-ranked team in the country, there are any number of things you’d like to be able to say about your No. 1 quarterback.

Terms like “big-play guy” or “proven leader” come to mind.

But when it comes to Sean Schroeder, “intriguing” will apparently have to do for now.

For rarely in the University of Hawaii’s Division I history have the Warriors bestowed the mantle of No. 1 on somebody who steps in as so much of a mystery. It is hard to recall when they’ve been on the verge of handing the ball to such an unknown quantity before. Especially against an opponent the caliber of Southern California and in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, if Schroeder holds onto the job as expected.

To be sure, the Warriors like the way Schroeder, a summer transfer from Duke, throws the ball. They are encouraged by the lefty’s quick grasp of the offense and command of the huddle. They are hopeful of what he might do when the season starts.

And, he comes with glowing recommendations from coaches who have worked with him. Oregon State and San Diego State recruited him. ESPN.com listed Schroeder as the 29th best high school quarterback in the country his senior year. Scout.com said he was 39th and Rivals.com listed him as No. 42.

Which is what makes this whole exercise so interesting. Because, for all that, Schroeder still didn’t throw a pass in three years in a Duke uniform. His sum total of playing time, Duke officials said, was three plays — all handoffs — in the waning minutes of last September’s 48-27 win at Tulane. Well-executed ones.

Otherwise Schroeder was the guy who flashed the signals in from the sidelines to the other quarterbacks and pushed them in practice to get better. “My right-hand man,” Blue Devils offensive coordinator Kurt Roper proudly called Schroeder.

Roper also says, “I wouldn’t have hesitated to play him (under other circumstances).” Those circumstances were apparently named Thaddeus Lewis and Sean Renfree. Both were in Durham, N.C., when Schroeder arrived from Dana Hills (Calif.) High amid considerable accolades. Lewis was closing out a career that would take him to the Cleveland Browns. Renfree, his heir, is now entering his senior season at Duke as a three-year starter and the active leader in several Atlantic Coast Conference statistical categories.

The Blue Devils added two later recruits, sophomores Anthony Boone and Brandon Connett, who were better dual run-pass threats, and somewhere along the line, Duke people will tell you, Schroeder became a victim of a numbers game. Two, maybe three, could squeeze in playing time. Four couldn’t.

And, along with earning a political science degree from Duke in three years, Schroeder was akamai enough to figure out that if he wanted to play in his final two years of eligibility, he needed to move on. In this case, nearly 4,700 miles, for a fresh start.

“I don’t know if I’m surprised he’s getting a chance to start somewhere,” Roper said. “But I’m definitely elated.”

The Warriors hope to share that feeling.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.