What BYU’s QB Depth Chart Looks Like After Jaren Hall

PROVO, Utah – The starting quarterback for BYU football is now settled. Jaren Hall is going to be the starting QB. It’s not a complete surprise. But he definitely had to earn it because two competitors in Baylor Romney and Jacob Conover, pushed him every day in camp.

What does the rest of the QB depth chart look like after Hall?

After Jaren Hall, the backup QB for #BYU is Baylor Romney according to OC Aaron Roderick.#BYUFootball #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/P0gRemlyro

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 25, 2021

BYU is going to wait till Monday to release the full depth chart for their opener against Arizona. But offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said via Zoom to the media that sophomore Baylor Romney is the number two quarterback as of today. Leaving heralded freshman signal-caller Jacob Conover as the number three quarterback.

Competition will continue taking place for QB2

“Well, that competition is ongoing,” Roderick said when asked who the backup QB is after Hall. “If the game was today, Baylor would be second. We’ll keep competing all season. That goes for the starter too. Jaren’s not dumb; he knows he’s got to play well. There are good players behind him. And I expect him to do that. I have a lot of confidence he’s going to play great.”

#BYU Depth Chart at QB

1. Jaren Hall
2. Baylor Romney
3. Jacob Conover#BYUFootball

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 25, 2021

Ever since BYU’s disastrous 2017 season, when they finished with a 4-9 record, head coach Kalani Sitake and Roderick have emphasized the importance of daily competition taking place inside BYU’s program. That’s what Roderick wants to continue seeing during BYU’s 2021 campaign, which opens in 10 days on September 4 against Arizona in Las Vegas.

“All those guys know that in this program, competition is ongoing all the time at every position. We’ll keep working there,” said Roderick. “I do have a system where I can still give reps to both backup quarterbacks during the season. I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now and I’ve found a way that I think is effective at keeping the starter ready but also keeping other guys improving and ready to play in case they’re needed. I think it’s worked out well for the last two seasons.”

Hard to navigate an entire BYU football season with one QB

Since Max Hall, BYU’s winningest quarterback, graduated in 2009, BYU has only had two seasons where they had one starting quarterback throughout the entire year. That was in 2013 with Taysom Hill and last year with Zach Wilson. BYU’s combined record for those two years was 19-6. But it’s hard to keep a QB healthy an entire season, not just at BYU but throughout all of college football.

Players are only one play away from being thrown into the spotlight, so they have to stay ready at all times. Conover still has a redshirt available for him to use. He could make appearances in four games and then enter the 2022 season as a redshirt freshman.

“Those two guys from my experience with them, those guys are high character, competitive guys,” Roderick said. “They understand this game. It’s not easy to go through 12 games with one QB; it doesn’t happen very often. And these guys are all young. I mean, everybody forgets that we’re talking about two sophomores and a freshman.”

After Conover, BYU has Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters, Utah transfer Nick Billoups and walk-on Rhett Reilly to round out the QBs available this season. Boise State transfer Cade Fennegan participated in Camp Kalani practices but cannot play this season due to arriving in the Transfer Portal after the July 1 cut-off.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.

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