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SALT LAKE CITY — Dual-threat quarterback Zachary Wilson is just days away from graduating at Corner Canyon High School, but he faced one of the toughest decisions of his life this past week.
Wilson had just hung up the phone after calling Boise State co-offensive coordinator Zak Hill and head coach Brian Harsin. On the call, he made an important decision—but not one he took lightly. The Broncos' staff was sitting in his Salt Lake-area living room earlier that month, but he knew what he had to do.
Shortly thereafter, he took to Twitter to explain what he did.
"My family and I have been 100 percent committed to Boise State since the day I committed," Wilson tweeted Wednesday afternoon. "The recruiting experience was flawless. But sometimes life presents opportunities that need to be considered, especially when it impacts my family, which is No. 1 on my priority list."
Awesome Home visit from the broncos. #BleedBluepic.twitter.com/CWVCEgJeBI
— Zachary Wilson (@zachkapono) December 10, 2017
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The No. 2 quarterback recruit in the state of Utah by Scout.com, Wilson de-committed from the Broncos and re-opened his recruiting. Late interest from BYU, Iowa, Cal and Colorado State spurred the decision, but he was quick to add that Boise State is not out of the picture for his commitment, he said during an interview with KSL.com.
"It was one of the hardest things I had to do," he said.
Still, he'll move forward. Wilson has a visit to BYU planned for the weekend, after the coaching staff recently extended a scholarship offer as they have begun reorganizing the offensive staff under new coordinator Jeff Grimes, whose hiring was announced Thursday.
He originally planned to visit Iowa, after head coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff showed interest in the past month.
"I know it's big-time football and they play a great schedule," Wilson told Iowa's Rivals.com website. "Also, education is at the top of my list and Iowa has one of the best schools around. I'm excited to learn more."
The 6-foot-3 dual-threat signal caller who threw for 6,691 yards and 54 touchdowns for the Chargers (11-1) has time—and options—to make his college decision. He'll graduate from Corner Canyon shortly after Christmas break, and he could sign during the NCAA early signing period that opens Dec. 20, making him eligible for practice in time for spring ball.
He could also wait a few extra months, sign in February and pick the best-fit school for him.
"Some schools will have an opportunity to get in early, but another school might have a more established quarterback with another year or two. I think that's where it plays in, going in early or not," Wilson said. "Whatever situation is best for me, I'll decide which is best for me."
Wilson also has offers from Minnesota, Syracuse, Fresno State, Utah State and Weber State, among others, but mentioned Iowa, BYU, Cal and Colorado State the most favorably.
Of course, in the recruiting landscape, things change fast. Next week's early signing period makes movement even faster.
"I've been talking to Iowa a lot, BYU has been a new one since the new offensive staff has been switched," Wilson said.
"It's different opportunities. You want to look into them all, and figure out the best thing for you."
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect Wilson's latest recruiting visit, a switch from Iowa to BYU that was made after the original publication.
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