The University of Hawaii football team will have a new starting quarterback when it opens its Mountain West Conference schedule against Nevada on Saturday.

Head coach Nick Rolovich announced Dru Brown as the No. 1 quarterback. Brown is a sophomore who transferred from College of San Mateo this summer.

Ikaika Woolsey, who started the first four games, will be the No. 2 quarterback.

Freshmen Aaron Zwahlen and Cole McDonald also have taken quarterback reps during 7-on-7 drills in recent practices.

Rolovich praised Brown’s “consistent improvement. He got better and better and better within the offense.”

Brown was enrolled in San Mateo’s summer session and fall semester when he received an offer from the Rainbow Warriors in late May. In mid-June, Brown took a recruiting trip to Hawaii. The day after returning to California, he committed to UH. In late June, Brown moved to Hawaii.

Brown said mutual friends arranged for him to participate in the Rainbow Warriors’ players-only workouts this summer.

Rolovich said Brown’s reserved personality meant it “took a little longer for the guys to get to know him.”

Brown said: “I tried to get in there and work hard and not try to say too much and show the guys I wanted to help us win. As long as you do that, you’ll be fine.”

Brown also agreed with Rolovich’s assessment that he is focused on academics and football.

“I came here knowing I wouldn’t be able to see everything I would see on a vacation or what-not,” Brown said. “But the bottom line is I came here to get a degree and play football for as long as I can.”

Brown followed his father’s cleat-steps in pursuing football.

“My dad played ball, and I always wanted to play football,” Brown said. “He didn’t push me, but he told me what I had to do. It was up to me to make it happen.”

Brown’s preference was to play quarterback.

“I like making decisions,” Brown said. “I like having control of a lot of things. I like having the ball every play.”

Woolsey said he was told of the quarterback change in a meeting Monday morning.

“I want to play, but that’s the decision they made, and I have to keep moving forward from there,” Woolsey said. “I’m only one play away from playing. I have to keep focusing and getting my mental reps.”

Rolovich said Woolsey has “done some good things this year. And if it’s my bet, we’ll need him to help us win some games this year.”