Patrick Kinahan: Wilson runs away with BYU quarterback competition

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SALT LAKE CITY — Over the next week the BYU football coaches face an important decision as to the quarterback position.

Jaren Hall vs. Baylor Romney, with freshman Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters loosely in the mix. Who you got?

Keep in mind, though, the competition for the starter has been settled without question, even if the coaches don’t want to make any public announcements. The only battle left is to determine the No. 2 quarterback behind Zach Wilson.

Through his play during training camp this month, Wilson has dominated the competition and earned the right to start at quarterback when the Cougars take the field against Navy on Labor Day night in Annapolis, Maryland. This is assuming, of course, the coronavirus does not derail BYU’s plans to play this season.

Understandably, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes isn’t interested in tipping off Navy ahead of the game. After the roughly 95-play scrimmage last week at LaVell Edwards Stadium, he remained coy on the situation.

"No, we are not ready to say anything yet," Grimes said. "Every day you gain more information, and certainly we are gaining more information about those guys every day, but we are not in a position to say anything yet."

Yes, they are, although it won’t be happening.

After practice Tuesday, coach Kalani Sitake said the coaches are "close to naming (a starter), so when we are ready to do it, we will have it out there. But I think the guys have done a pretty good job. I feel really good about the four quarterbacks that could play for us right now. So yeah, I will just leave it up to that."

In the new world in which we live, all practices have been closes to any fans or media. Players and coaches have conducted interviews via Zoom, unlike in previous seasons when media members have had at least partial access to practice.

But the restrictions, in large part due to the pandemic, have not prevented at least some information from getting out. The truth is Wilson’s stellar play in practice has reduced the three-man race at quarterback to a battle of the backups.

Heading into practice this week, the depth chart behind Wilson was too close to call. Hall and Romney each have exhibited an ability to succeed in BYU’s offense, which is comforting to know for the coaches considering that most teams at some point are forced to play a second – or even third – quarterback.

For those without a preference, Wilson winning the competition should come as good news for BYU football. Based on experience, the junior out of Corner Canyon High in Draper gives the team its best chance to win games.

At times, as he has shown over the last two years, Wilson has displayed the ingredients of a star quarterback. Recall the 2018 bowl game, in which he completed all 18 pass attempts for 317 yards and four touchdowns.

There was also Wilson’s late-game heroics in the improbable come-from-behind win against Tennessee in Knoxville. He also was stellar the following week in the overtime win over USC at home.

Overall, as a freshman he completed 66% of his passes for 1,577 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. Last season, he threw for 2,382 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

"I do think he will end up being one of the greatest of all time at BYU, if not the greatest quarterback," former receiver Dylan Collie, who caught two of Wilson’s touchdowns in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl win over Western Michigan, said last offseason.

But injuries and inconsistency have prevented Wilson from reaching his potential, thus necessitating the need for BYU to have depth at quarterback. At any point, as last season proved, both backups may be called upon.

Injuries have been the primary impediment to Wilson’s progress during both of his years in college. He missed most of the offseason in 2019 after undergoing shoulder surgery and then was out for seven weeks last season with a finger injury.