ESPN’s David Pollack Draws Lofty NFL Comparisons For BYU QB Zach Wilson
Jan 8, 2021, 12:22 PM | Updated: 12:31 pm
Former BYU QB Zach Wilson and ESPN's David Pollack. (Photos courtesy of BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey)
(Photos courtesy of BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – ESPN college football analyst David Pollack is buying the hype for BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. The College GameDay host and former first-round NFL draft pick made some lofty comparisons for BYU’s star signal-caller.
.@davidpollack47 is all in on BYU QB Zach Wilson ✍️ pic.twitter.com/nejpZLnz0Y
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 8, 2021
Pollack joined Mike Greenberg on ESPN’s Get Up to discuss Todd McShay’s latest NFL Mock Draft with Wilson as the No. 2 quarterback in the draft. Greenberg asked Pollack, “Who is Zach Wilson in the NFL?”
David Pollack weighs in on Zach Wilson
“He scares the crap out of me because my comparisons that keep coming to mind when I watch him are too good,” said Pollack. “Man, I keep looking at him and he’s got such a smooth, natural ability. He just floats off his back foot and flips it like Aaron Rodgers. He just runs to his left and throws it 60 yards downfield like Patrick Mahomes.”
Rodgers and Mahomes? Pollack isn’t the only one drawing those comparisons. Even BYU legend Steve Young has referenced some resemblances between Wilson and the league’s defending Super Bowl champion.
Pollack continued, “Last year, I did not get in the Jordan Love comparison with Patrick Mahomes. This guy (Wilson) reminds me of them. His deep ball accuracy is second to none. He puts it up and drops it in a bucket.”
COUGAR NATION pic.twitter.com/BLQtiKWygT
— Zachary Wilson (@zachkapono) January 1, 2021
Wilson does throw an impressive deep ball. During his impressive 2020 season at BYU, Wilson completed 62 percent of his passes carried in the air at least 20 yards down the field. Put weapons around Wilson, and he will make the plays.
“He didn’t play in a great system in college with BYU, and when I say he didn’t play in a great system, he didn’t play with a bunch of skill all around him that enabled him to put up video game numbers all the time and really make bigger plays than he could have,” Pollack said. “But Greeny, it scares the crap out of me because every name that comes to mind when I start watching him is greatness at the NFL level because of that smooth, natural, quick-twitch ability to throw the football.”
Wilson declared for the NFL draft foregoing his senior year at BYU on January 1. He is currently in California preparing for the draft.
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 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.
