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I know many have said that the current stable of BYU QBs is as good as it's been in 30 years (I'd disagree - not that it isn't really good right now, just think that is an overstatement) but wanted to dedicate a thread about the current crop of BYU QBs, as well as those in the pipeline.
Zach Wilson
Wilson has been fun to watch - he's the type of QB who has the ability to just make plays. He's slippery, he does a great job keeping his eyes downfield, he's fearless. I think his arm has struggled a bit this year coming off of off-season shoulder surgery and then dealing with a broken thumb this season. The other way to look at those injuries though, is that you can see his competitive nature - he's a football player who loves to compete and you have to love that. I think he'll take a step this next year (assuming he stays healthy the rest of this year) and be poised to have a big junior season.
Jaren Hall
I was excited to see Jaren Hall in Cougar blue since his signing and I haven't been disappointed. He's a gifted runner, and that dynamic really makes him tough to game plan against. But calling him a running QB sells him short as a passer. I think he's got the strongest arm of the QBs on the roster right now and pretty good accuracy as well. The TD he had to Dax Milne was an absolute dime (it is a little bit weird to me that this is the only TD he's thrown) and he had more than a few throws that were on point against Utah State. I'm hopeful that concussions aren't going to be a recurring problem for him, because I think he's a really good QB.
Baylor Romney
He's been easily the biggest surprise for me of QBs on the roster. He came in against South Florida and put the team in a position to win the game. After, he was really good against Boise - 2 TDs and no picks and followed it up with a great second half against Utah State throwing for two more scores. In terms of a "drop back" guy he may be the best passer on the roster. He seems to make the right decision, has pretty good accuracy and his arm strength is good. He's proven that he's worthy of a scholarship and I think his play has been good enough that this spring could be a legit QB competition with him and the two guys above.
Joe Critchlow
He's probably one of the more proven 4th string guys in the country. 3-3 records as a starter, and honestly the last game he started against Hawaii in 2017 I thought he played a solid game - 14 for 22 with a TD and no INTs. I do wonder if he'll stick around the program or if he'll try to transfer somewhere that he might see the field.
(side note: when typing out Critchlow's name two years ago when he was the starter, my phone auto-corrected his name to "Crotchless" and so that is what he's known as around our home).
Guys signed/committed:
Jacob Conover - from Chandler Arizona, was a 4-star recruit. He's on a mission, but he's one of the more highly recruited guys to sign at BYU. 24-7 lists him as having offers from Arizona State, Alabama, Ole Miss, Washington State and South Carolina to name a few.
Sol-Jay Maiava - from Washington DC via Hawaii. Not yet signed, but committed, he looks the part. More of a dual-threat guy, I'm hopeful he signs. 24-7 lists a few of his offers as Purdue, Michigan, Utah, and Virginia.
Zach Wilson
Wilson has been fun to watch - he's the type of QB who has the ability to just make plays. He's slippery, he does a great job keeping his eyes downfield, he's fearless. I think his arm has struggled a bit this year coming off of off-season shoulder surgery and then dealing with a broken thumb this season. The other way to look at those injuries though, is that you can see his competitive nature - he's a football player who loves to compete and you have to love that. I think he'll take a step this next year (assuming he stays healthy the rest of this year) and be poised to have a big junior season.
Jaren Hall
I was excited to see Jaren Hall in Cougar blue since his signing and I haven't been disappointed. He's a gifted runner, and that dynamic really makes him tough to game plan against. But calling him a running QB sells him short as a passer. I think he's got the strongest arm of the QBs on the roster right now and pretty good accuracy as well. The TD he had to Dax Milne was an absolute dime (it is a little bit weird to me that this is the only TD he's thrown) and he had more than a few throws that were on point against Utah State. I'm hopeful that concussions aren't going to be a recurring problem for him, because I think he's a really good QB.
Baylor Romney
He's been easily the biggest surprise for me of QBs on the roster. He came in against South Florida and put the team in a position to win the game. After, he was really good against Boise - 2 TDs and no picks and followed it up with a great second half against Utah State throwing for two more scores. In terms of a "drop back" guy he may be the best passer on the roster. He seems to make the right decision, has pretty good accuracy and his arm strength is good. He's proven that he's worthy of a scholarship and I think his play has been good enough that this spring could be a legit QB competition with him and the two guys above.
Joe Critchlow
He's probably one of the more proven 4th string guys in the country. 3-3 records as a starter, and honestly the last game he started against Hawaii in 2017 I thought he played a solid game - 14 for 22 with a TD and no INTs. I do wonder if he'll stick around the program or if he'll try to transfer somewhere that he might see the field.
(side note: when typing out Critchlow's name two years ago when he was the starter, my phone auto-corrected his name to "Crotchless" and so that is what he's known as around our home).
Guys signed/committed:
Jacob Conover - from Chandler Arizona, was a 4-star recruit. He's on a mission, but he's one of the more highly recruited guys to sign at BYU. 24-7 lists him as having offers from Arizona State, Alabama, Ole Miss, Washington State and South Carolina to name a few.
Sol-Jay Maiava - from Washington DC via Hawaii. Not yet signed, but committed, he looks the part. More of a dual-threat guy, I'm hopeful he signs. 24-7 lists a few of his offers as Purdue, Michigan, Utah, and Virginia.
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