Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager (13) throws a pass during an NCAA football game against San Diego State on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

University of Hawaii Senior quarterback Brayden Schager sat down with The Maui News Monday to talk about recently being elected to this year’s Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, facing off against the Boise State Broncos this weekend, what his future holds, what the future holds for the Mountain West and the University of Hawaii, the NIL, and the transfer portal.

Schager currently sits 5th all-time in UH history for passing yards (7,833 yards), and fifth all-time in passing touchdowns (52 touchdowns).

Schager could move ahead of Cole McDonald this Saturday for fourth all-time in UH history for passing yards with 199 yards against the #17th ranked team in the country, The Boise State Broncos.

“We just have to regroup,” Schager said of the close loss to San Diego State last weekend. “It seems like we are always just a couple of plays away, so that gets frustrating, but I think we play well at home. It’s going to be exciting to play against a really good team this week, a nationally ranked team. It’s another opportunity for us to go and get a big win.”

Schager was elected last week to this year’s Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes 22 student-athletes and one head coach with college football’s highest community service honors.

With the election to the team, Schager is eligible for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, the winner of which will be announced December 12. He’s one of 11 FBS players eligible for the award, which is decided by votes at: https://promo.espn. com/espn/contests/allstate/2024/.

Schager said the selection to the team and chance to win the Wuerffel Trophy is an opportunity hatched out of years of work. Schager said it’s amazing to see all the hard work he and his family have put into the community through the Highland Park Buddy Bowl.

The Highland Park Buddy Bowl is something Schager and his family have poured their labor of love into since 2017. “The HP Buddy Bowl evolved from the vision of a then 14-yearold North Texas middle-school football player (Brayden Schager) and his then 12-year-old sister (Brielle Schager). In November 2016, they sat around the kitchen table talking about how football is king in Texas, but not everyone gets the chance to play.

They decided the community needed a game that put some very special athletes in a place they don’t typically get to be,” The HP Buddy Bowl website reads about the creation of the annual event in May in Highland Park, Texas. “The Buddy Bowl, especially, is really dear to us and it’s awesome that it’s being recognized,” Schager said of the nomination. “I think I’ve been able to take some of the stuff from what I did in Dallas to here.” Schager has donated his time in Hawaii helping with the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine, going to different Hawaiian islands to coach football, and getting himself out in the community.

Schager was also a camp counselor at the 2024 Manning Passing Academy this past June. Getting involved is something Schager says Rainbow Warriors Coach Timmy Chang preaches to his players.

“I’m going to try and play football for as long as I can,” Schager, the entrepreneurship major, said of his future after his senior season. “After that I think I want to get into something in business agriculture, or something along those lines.”

Having been a freshman at UH the year the name, image and likeness (NIL) was introduced to collegiate football. Schager has had a unique view of what paying collegiate athletes can do to the landscape of the sport.

“It’s been a very cool thing to see it evolve,” Schager said. “It’s been a lot different ever since my freshman year to now. It’s crazy, at some of the other schools obviously they’re throwing around big money, but it’s also very cool to see local brands and stuff get involved here in Hawaii.”

The other side of the NIL is the ability that teams and players have to enter the transfer portal and change their team.

Schager contemplated entering the transfer portal in December 2023, but ultimately decided to withdraw from the portal and stick with UH for his senior season.

“It brings a different aspect,” Schager said of the portal. “You got agents and a lot of people telling you to go for money or whatever it is. There’s always a lot of people in your ear telling you what to do with the transfer portal. It’s a very interesting part of college football that’s a lot like free agency in the NFL.”

Two weeks ago, the Mountain West Conference lost four members to the Pac-10. The seven remaining Mountain West schools signed a memorandum of understanding to stay in the league, including Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, Wyoming and Hawaii.

Hawaii is a partial member, but the conference will have two years to add two full member teams by 2028, according to NCAA rules.

“I think it’s a really unique place and it’s a really unique opportunity to have Hawaii in a conference,” Schager said of Hawaii remaining in the Mountain West as a partial member.