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PROVO — There’s bound to be plenty of hype surrounding former Corner Canyon star quarterback Zach Wilson for his sophomore season at BYU.
Monday's news won’t derail that hype in some circles, but let’s take the news with a grain of salt, too.
Forget it; it's the college football preseason.
Wilson was one of 37 quarterbacks named to the Maxwell Award watchlist, given annually to the best player in college football as voted on by a panel of coaches, sports reporters and members of the Maxwell Football Club.
With great expectations comes great responsibility, or something like what Uncle Ben told Peter Parker before he became Spider-Man.
"I'm looking forward to him leading," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said of his presumed starting quarterback. "I think as a freshman, it’s hard to be a leader out there and demand a lot from your teammates, but I think he’s earned that opportunity, and I think Jaren Hall has done the same."
The sophmore-to-be joins Utah running back Zack Moss and Utah State quarterback Jordan Love on the preseason watchlist, whose swelling numbers also include notable names like Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Nebraska star Adrian Martinez, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Texas’ Sam Ehlinger, adding fuel to the “Texas is back” wagon.
The 6-foot-3, 201-pound Wilson completed 65.9% of his passes a year ago for 1,578 yards, 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions in nine games, including seven starts. He’ll enter the Aug. 29 season opener against Utah having not thrown an incomplete pass since completing 20-of-29 for 204 yards against the Utes back on Nov. 24.
It’s not unprecedented for a BYU player to win the Maxwell Award, given annually to the top player in college football. Ty Detmer took home the trophy in 1990, the same year he won the same honor from the Heisman Trust and the Davey O’Brien committee, beating out Notre Dame’s Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, Colorado’s Eric Bieniemy and Virginia’s Shawn Moore.
Detmer had three seasons with over 4,000 passing yards, including 121 touchdowns, en route to setting 42 NCAA records.
So the precedent has been set in Provo.
Can Wilson live up to it?
That will be something to watch this season. But Wilson is used to pressure; the former Class 5A MVP and first-team all-state selection threw for 5,694 yards and 44 touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Chargers, including an 11-1 record and 5A semifinal appearance as a junior in 2017.
BYU opens fall camp in late July.
