Players Club: What Is Jaren Hall Thankful For This Year?

PROVO, Utah – BYU has one final game this year as they head to Los Angeles to face a distraught USC team with an interim coach.

The goal is to have a double-digit winning season in back-t0-back years and just maybe a shot at a New Year’s Six Bowl if things go the Cougars way.

BYU quarterback Jaren Hall joined UnRivaled as he does every week to discuss a bit about going down to Los Angeles and preparing for the regular-season finale.

However, his conversation leaned more into the Thanksgiving season and what he is thankful for. Having a close knit locker room helps in getting wins and is a reason why the Cougars are at 9-2.

“I am grateful that I’ve been able to remain healthy, for the most part. My teammates that have been able to be healthy and for those who take care of our injured guys. I am grateful for how close our team has gotten throughout the year,” Hall said. “It is always interesting to see the dynamics when you lose a big wave of guys and new guys fill their places and you find that chemistry. Plus, sharing that success on the field.”

A locker room can be a tricky place to navigate and with BYU having so much turnover from last year it was a whole new group in a sense. This room is a lot of fun.

“We have a good balance but it is more fun. In a locker room, there is not much to be serious about,” Hall said. “When you step across the lines in the film room that is when it gets serious, but when we are in the locker room we are ourselves. We are young and screaming at each other over ping pong or shuffle bard, it is a good time with lots of laughs.”

Having a good time in the locker room must make it easier to have a fun season and to get closer which helps once these guys are on the field battling.

First Look At USC, Jaxson Dart

BYU makes its first trip to USC since 2003 and this is not a typical Trojans team. They have an interim coach and have shuffled through quarterbacks this year and currently it is former Corner Canyon quarterback Jaxson Dart who will be getting the start against a team that heavily recruited him.

The last time #BYU made a trip to the @lacoliseum to face USC was in 2003.#BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/0fsxGD27lx

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 22, 2021

Hall gives his assessment on what he see’s in the freshman Dart who he did spend some time with this past Summer working out with former BYU quarterback John Beck.

“I know that have had a rotation balancing dudes in and out. What I have seen is how confident he is in throwing the ball. That is what he did at Corner Canyon when I watched him in high school. I had a chance to work out with him a couple of times in California with John.

“I got a chance to see him work out up close and personal. The way he throws the ball, he has great mechanics and it looks so effortless out there. It is fun to watch him throw the ball out there…. and excited to see him play this if he gets the nod this week.”

As for the game itself, Hall is fairly cliche by saying that BYU needs to get the ground game going with Tyler Allgeier running the ball, don’t turn the ball over, and converting in the red zone.

The finale for BYU is at USC with kickoff beginning at 8:30 p.m. and you can listen to the game on KSL Newsradio.

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