BYU AD Tom Holmoe On QB Battle: ‘It’s An Important Decision’
Aug 21, 2024, 3:09 PM
Tom Holmoe, director of athletics at Brigham Young University, lectures as part of BYU Education Week, held at the Spencer W. Kimball Tower on the campus of BYU in Provo on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe spoke to attendees at Education Week on Wednesday. After discussing Women’s Soccer and Women’s Volleyball, the veteran athletic director began discussing BYU football.
Moments into his commentary about BYU football, he brought up the quarterback battle.
BYU QB Battle: Jake Retzlaff or Gerry Bohanon?
“At the end of this [presentation], I ask, ‘Any questions?’ Don’t ask me who the starting quarterback is going to be,” Holmoe said to Education Week attendees. “Because I don’t make that decision. That’s way over my pay grade.”
After receiving laughs from the capacity crowd that had an overflow inside room 250 at the Kimball Tower, Holmoe, without being asked by someone in the crowd, he shared his thoughts on the battle between Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon.
“That’s a decision that is super important—the quarterback of any team. But look at BYU, all of the quarterbacks that have come through here. We have four quarterbacks in the College Football Hall of Fame. Did you know that? Ain’t that amazing,” Holmoe said, speaking to Education Week guests. “And we have a number [of quarterbacks] who have contributed great things to our storied history.
“So it’s an important decision. And I trust our coaches are in that process, and that decision will be made, at least before the game. I know it’s coming up pretty fast.”
Tom Holmoe spoke at Education Week
When Holmoe said, “at least before the game,” the crowd laughed loudly. BYU coaches have kept their starting quarterback decision between Bohanon and Retzlaff close to the vest.
Both quarterbacks have had their moments of highlight days. However, no one has emerged as the clear-cut star quarterback, such as Taysom Hill, Zach Wilson, and Jaren Hall, from previous quarterback battles in the Kalani Sitake era.
It leaves a lot of intrigue surrounding the most critical position on a BYU team that faces one of the Big 12’s most demanding schedules and is looking to return to a bowl game.
“I don’t know. It’s a daily conversation. I would like to do something,” said BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick earlier this week on the timeline of a QB decision. “I don’t want to take it all the way to game time.”
At the maximum, there are ten days left until BYU football coaches make that decision.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
