University of Hawaii QB Chevan Cordeiro is always dialed in

During the recruiting process, the Hawaii football coaches were as impressed with what they did see in quarterback Chevan Cordeiro as with what they did not see.

Cordeiro’s quick release, accuracy and command of the offense were apparent. But there were limited video clips of Cordeiro’s junior season at Saint Louis School, when he was the primary backup to Tua Tagovailoa, the eventual 2016 Star-Advertiser Player of the Year.

“I actually really appreciated the the fact of how he handled the Tua situation in today’s age of quarterbacks,” UH head coach Nick Rolovich said. “That’s a guy, all signs say, will not quit on you if things aren’t good. That’s a kid who will work through it and continue to get better. Even though he didn’t play (much) his junior year, how he handled his junior year made him attractive as a recruit to us.”

Cordeiro made an oral commitment to accept a UH scholarship in April 2017 — four months before the start of his senior season — and honored that promise when he signed the National Letter of Intent on Dec. 20, 2017. That vision was justified this past weekend.

In his first start of this season, Cordeiro accounted for five touchdowns — three on passes, two on keepers — in Saturday’s 42-40 victory over San Jose State. On Monday, Cordeiro was named the Mountain West Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week.

“There are still some things we’re going to get better at,” Rolovich said. “But that was a damn good game by a young quarterback.”

Cordeiro had two other splashes last season — rallying the Warriors as an injury replacement for Cole McDonald against Wyoming, and coming off the sideline in a comeback victory against UNLV. Quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann said Cordeiro was given a “vanilla” game plan against Wyoming.

Last week, McDonald and Cordeiro received an equal number of reps in practices leading to the San Jose State game. When Cordeiro was named starter on Friday, the game plan did not change.

“We let him run the full offense,” Stutzmann said. “We didn’t scale back any play calls. The game plan was the same whether it was for Cole or Chevan.”

Rolovich said: “They both can execute any part of the offense.”

Cordeiro said he prepared, as he always does, as if he were to start. When McDonald was taking the snaps in practice, Cordeiro took mental reps.

Rolovich said Cordeiro is “dialed in during games” whether he plays or not.

“It’s not just the week,” Rolovich said. “It’s processing things during the game. And listening to what the adjustments are, listening to what the conversations are with Cole and the receivers. That’s where I think it takes the most skill.”