BYU is nothing without a good quarterback.
Jake Retzlaff, Jerry Bohannon, Cade Fennegan, Ryder Burton, everyone. History tells us that if any of these players don't play at a high level, they don't have to be elite, but if they reach that level, the Cougars are going to struggle, no matter the league, no matter the schedule. I'm giving it to you.
This one position is critical to BYU's success and has become gospel in Provo.
BYU's quarterbacks were dominant in the 1970s and '80s, produced a Heisman Trophy winner in the '90s, and its executives are inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. If the Cougars can get some good, efficient shots, the rest seems to fall into place.
In the 2000s, QBs like Max Hall, John Beck, Taysom Hill, and Jalen Hall created highlight videos worthy of all-time vaulters.
BYU had never had a quarterback with a church mission lead the Cougars to a conference championship until Brandon Dorman did it in 2001. BYU's QB stars have traditionally been players who came straight out of high school or college (Steve Sarkisian) and played Division I, immersed themselves in all the training and gained all the experience.
Both Retzlaff and Bohannon fit this mold.
Rezlaff, the owner of a disastrous goal-line pick-six against Oklahoma, just finished spring practice without throwing a pick in 15 sessions, according to offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. Bohannon led Baylor to the Big 12 Championship a few years ago.
Retzlaff was a JC All-American from California who put up gaudy numbers in terms of yards and touchdowns. His 15 practices without a pick equates to 130 attempts or his four games without an interception. That's a feat.
Retzlaff and Bohannon can do somersaults and make it rain on the desert on demand, but they don't help BYU's offense and Roderick highlights their talents, making the right moves such as the run. Without building a system that effectively surrounds both players with pieces, BYU's offense will struggle again in 2024 in this game.
Former Cougar Max Hall believes BYU should have named a starter coming out of spring football. Hall said he was told Retzlaff reminded people of himself. He tells all about his QB in this article on his BYUtv.
The QB position at BYU tends to be more than just an important piece of the puzzle. QB performance turned out to be the secret sauce ever since Virgil Carter found Phil Odle and Gary Scheide to take the Cougars to their first bowl game in Tempe (the Fiesta Bowl).
BYU doesn't win too many games with average QB play.
The advent of NFL-type defenses over the past two decades has made that task even more difficult. No matter who is chosen to start, it will still be a big challenge for Roderick. His boyfriend must be someone special.
Last week, head coach Kalani Sitake reached out to Folsom High School (Calif.) quarterback Ryder Lyons. BYU is also recruiting QB Heraman Kasuga from Corner Canyon High School. Both have him nearing five-star status.
Lyons is the younger brother of post-mission TE Walker Lyons, who went to the University of Southern California and attended the University of Notre Dame, the University of Southern California, Michigan State, Florida State, Georgia, Texas A&M, UCLA, Ole Miss, Florida State, Colorado State, He has offers from Arkansas State, ASU, and Virginia Tech. , Nevada, San Diego State, Washington State, California, UNLV, Oregon State, Sacramento State, Washington State, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Colorado State.
Casuga has offers from USC, Utah, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington State, Colorado State, UNLV, Hawaii and BYU.
“Helaman is already on par with the best Utah high school QBs in state history, not just in terms of stats, but recruiting and national rankings. He has two more years (unless reclassified) to continue growing as a player. He's given time.'' He's a QB and a leader,'' Dusty Lister of KSL Sports Rewind said.
“A lot of people have feelings about him moving from Timpview to Corner Canyon, and that's fine, but the biggest difference is that the (Kasuga) family bought a house in Draper and moved the whole family. ” he continued. “They didn't have a guardianship agreement with the family, so they made it look like he moved within the boundaries. Everyone can feel whatever they want, but if the family doesn't move the house… What should we say if we buy and move into the school boundaries?
“There have been some great fourth-year QBs coming out of Corner Canyon since 2007, but Hillaman is at a similar level to Jackson Dart, with a higher skill set and football acumen.” He has the ability to recognize players before the snap and has a great ability to attack defenses. His arm talent is on a Zach Wilson, Jackson darter level. Eric Kjar brings the best out of Helaman. . I can't wait to meet him this fall.”
The Lions scored the winning touchdown with 20 seconds left, clinching Folsom the state title. He finished the season with 38 touchdown passes and 23 rushing touchdowns.
247Sports national recruiting editor Greg Biggins has the Lions at the top of the 2026 QB class.
“Lyons is on the short list for an all-around signal caller in the '26 class. He showed rare ability as a pitcher and runner and is coming off an outstanding sophomore season in which he scored 61 all-purpose touchdowns. At SoCal Elite 11 Camp (3/17/24), he showed accuracy on all three levels of the field with the ability to make throws from inside and outside of the pocket with one of the quickest releases during camp. . His 36-inch vertical jump is the second-highest in camp, and it's also a position that combines rare physical tools with advanced feel,” Biggins said.
BYU has had tremendous success with QBs who are near the top of the rankings. They rarely sign someone considered elite in a class like Washington's Jake Heaps or California's Ben Olson, who are members of the school's Latter-day Saint faith and left campus early.
Of course, not all Latter-day Saint athletes attend BYU. They have their own preferences, favorites, fits, and visions for their individual athletic endeavors, including both geography and coaching choices.
But think about it. On a scale of 10 to 10, how important would it be for BYU to acquire a QB like Lyons or Kasuga with the Provo connection?
In the era of NIL pressures, the effort required is enormous.
“We have two really good quarterbacks in 2026 that could completely change BYU's trajectory,” 247Sports' Jeff Hansen said, naming Kasuga and Lyons as 2026 recruits.
“It's hard to say which is more important because they're both near five-star prospects, but it's an absolute 10 for BYU to get one of them. Without a doubt, this is Aaron Roderick. This is the most important recruiting battle I've had since coming to BYU.”
QBU?
The times are calling on Roderick to make that happen.
