A season ago, the BYU Cougars had an 11-1 record, a No. 11 ranking and a quarterback who would go on to be the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft. This fall, they have none of those things — only the lofty expectations that follow a season like the one they just had.
But the Cougars believe they’re ready for what may come this year.
“I think everyone’s ready to show them that [the success] wasn’t just a fluke and we don’t need Zach Wilson to do that,” senior defensive lineman Uriah Leiataua said at the start of fall camp. “I think everyone’s just determined to play and show what we’ve got.”
The first step took place when the Cougars closed out their fall camp with news of who would be replacing Wilson as the starting quarterback: Jaren Hall.
“He’s had a great camp and deserved the job,” offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said during Wednesday’s news conference. “... This isn’t my decision, this was decided on the field by their play. Jaren deserves this opportunity. Still believe in those other guys, but I’m really excited to see Jaren play against Arizona.”
The quarterback battle between Hall, Baylor Romney and Jacob Conover was the longest Roderick said he’s gone into camp without having a starting quarterback named. Because the position battle lasted longer than expected, the trio went through all of fall camp equally sharing reps.
Would it have helped to get the starter more reps to prepare for the season? Possibly. If BYU were starting a brand new quarterback under center, having fewer reps would have definitely been a hindrance, but Hall is neither of those things. He may be listed as a sophomore, but Hall has been with the program for four years.
The Spanish Fork native redshirted the 2018 season and used a medical redshirt last season (although it wouldn’t have been needed because the NCAA froze eligibility for all fall sport athletes due to the pandemic).
Hall played in seven games in 2019, when he completed 31 of 46 attempts for 420 yards and one touchdown and added 139 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Although Hall doesn’t have more playing experience while at BYU, he believes his time in Provo has set him up for success now — especially having been under the same coaches, playbook and offensive plan.
“I think just understanding where the ins and outs and understanding where our strengths are out [will help against Arizona],” Hall said.
As far as facing all three guys evenly throughout camp, defensive coaches and players saw it as a positive. While the trio has been described as having similar styles and fitting into BYU’s already-established offensive plan, they still differ a little from each other.
For junior defensive back Chaz Ah You, he wants to get reps against every type of skill set. As a defensive back, Ah You could go from covering a running back to a tight end to a slot back to a wide receiver. He has to be ready to take on any package and cover any player.
“I think it’s good to have that diversity at quarterback as well, where you’re working against dual threats or quick decision, throwing the ball-type quarterbacks,” Ah You said earlier this month. “So I think these two quarterbacks are giving us a look at everything that we could possibly go against this season.”
Having the team ready for anyone and just about anything will be helpful as the Cougars enter their toughest schedule of the independence era with seven Power Five teams on the calendar.
Luckily for BYU, unlike previous years, the P5 games are spread out throughout the season.
The Cougars will open against three P5 teams (Arizona, Utah, Arizona State), take on three Group of Five teams (South Florida, Utah State, Boise State), then another three P5 teams (Baylor, Washington State, Virginia), followed by Big Sky (Idaho State) and Sun Belt (Georgia Southern) teams, and close out the season on the road at USC.
The schedule features a few familiar faces for BYU fans, with former BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall making his first return to Provo since leaving the program for Virginia in 2015 and the Cougars visiting Baylor, where former offensive coordinator and offensive line coaches Jeff Grimes and Eric Mateos joined the staff earlier this year.
Regardless of who BYU is playing, or the old faces they’ll see, what many fans will stay focused on is the production and whether or not the Cougars will be able to follow up last season’s success.
And that’s not lost on the team.
The Cougars are well aware they had a softer schedule than usual a year ago, by no fault of their own, and are hungry to prove themselves.
