BYU Cougars quarterbacks coach Aaron Roderick watches from he sidelines as Jake Retzlaff works with the offense as BYU’s football team practices in Provo on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. The Cougars open spring camp Thursday, which is when the battle for QB1 officially begins. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Get ready for what is arguably going to be the most important starting quarterback competition in BYU football coach Kalani Sitake’s nine-year tenure.
The madness begins Thursday, as the Cougars begin spring practices in Provo — most likely at the Indoor Practice Facility, since the calendar, and the weather, say it is Feb. 29 — with one primary goal in mind: Get better, and fast.
Finding a capable, playmaking, turnover-avoiding starting quarterback will go a long way toward BYU realizing that objective, and erasing last year’s disappointing 5-7 campaign that showed the Cougars weren’t quite ready to compete in the Big 12.
“So Gerry (Bohanon) and Jake (Retzlaff) will get the bulk of the reps, and then we will find ways to get Cade (Fennegan), Ryder (Burton) and Treyson (Bourguet) in there to see who we think the third guy is.”
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick
So who’s it going to be?
Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick spoke exclusively to the Deseret News last week and said, “Spring ball will be a competition between Jake (Retzlaff) and Gerry (Bohanon) for the starting job. It is a two-way race right now.”
Retzlaff is the incumbent, of sorts, after he spelled an ailing Kedon Slovis and started in BYU’s final four games, all losses. Bohanon is the well-traveled, experienced QB who began his career at Baylor before losing the starting job to Blake Shapen in Waco and transferring to South Florida.
Roderick said the coaching staff didn’t scour the transfer portal for a QB this offseason as…
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