Bryson Beirne >>

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Bryson Beirne is a Hawaiian straight out of central casting.

Beirne is laid back. He longboards. And, of course, he is a Spam man.

Beirne, an Arizona Wildcats redshirt freshman quarterback, enjoys the island treat in a number of different ways but cannot get enough of Spam musubi — a popular sushi-like roll made of salted rice, nori and, of course, the pressed pork product.

"Wrapped at Gulick Delicatessen," Beirne said. "It's so good. I miss it."

Beirne, from Honolulu, is otherwise happy on the mainland six months after enrolling at the UA as a true freshman. He has been taking snaps with the second-string offense in spring practice and is poised to start the 2008 season as the Wildcats' backup quarterback.

Coaches believe Beirne, 18, is just scratching the potential he showed at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu. Beirne threw for more than 3,000 yards and 19 touchdowns in three years as a high school starter. His numbers would have been better — and more colleges would have noticed — had Beirne not missed most of his junior season with a knee injury.

Beirne said he is comfortable in Tucson, even if some of the comforts of home are not there. He now eats Spam only when home for holidays.

"I cooked it once out here," he said. "It's not the same."

Here are four more things you need to know about Beirne, the Wildcats' quarterback of the future:

● He is tight with Willie Tuitama. Beirne has practically been Tuitama's shadow since enrolling at the UA last fall. The two watch film and work out together and often stay after practice to throw to receivers.

If they were not wearing different numbers, the quarterbacks would be almost indistinguishable — Beirne stands 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 214 pounds; Tuitama is 6-3, 206. They look so similar that Beirne is often mistaken for the Cats' star.

"We always hang out, chill, watch film together," Beirne said.

Tuitama said, "He's like my little brother."

There are differences: Tuitama broke most of the Wildcats' single-season passing records in 2007, and Beirne has yet to step on the field.

"Bryson doesn't have quite as strong an arm as Willie does — not many people do — but he's further along than Willie would have been at this point in his career," offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes said.

● For the final time, they are not related. Although they look alike, the UA quarterbacks come from different backgrounds. Beirne is of Hawaiian ancestry, and Tuitama is Samoan-American.

"We're both Polynesian," Beirne said, "but we're from different island groups."

● He is tatted up. On Christmas Eve, Beirne got his first tattoo, a massive tribal design that runs up his left leg. The tattoo took 4 1/2 hours to complete; the artist was a friend of a friend of his father's.

"They just 'gunned' it on there. If I got it traditional (style), it would have been 12 hours over three sessions, and I didn't have that much time," he said.

Beirne said the tattoo serves as part passport, part family tree.

"It represents my culture and who I am when I'm out here on the mainland. It's mostly for my family and the people that came before me," he said.

● He is coming along. Beirne is expected to serve as Tuitama's backup throughout spring practice, then compete with incoming freshman Matt Scott for second-string duty in the fall.

Beirne has a strong arm and some mobility and seems a natural fit for the Air Zona offense. Dykes said Beirne could one day follow Tuitama onto the field.

For now, Beirne said he would be happy as the Cats' No. 2 quarterback.

"Each day, I'm taking better steps to calm everything down," Beirne said. "It'll come with experience."