In the current era of BYU football, the only consistent aspect of the program is its unpredictability. Now, I love unpredictability as much as the next guy--you can often catch me snagging the mystery flavored Dum Dums, and Creed Bratton's onslaught of random one-liners compel me into plenty of belly laughs--but for a football program in desperate need of some good news, uncertainty could be a bad omen for a rebuilding team.
BYU's offseason quarterback battle has been well-documented; last season's understudy, Jake Retzlaff, and transfer portal veteran, Gerry Bohanon, have emerged as the favorites, though Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead has been making noise from the back of the depth chart. A team's starting quarterback is perceived to be the group leader and the voice that rallies the troops. Ensuring that the starting quarterback is the right man for the job is paramount.
I'm not here to declare who ought to win the starting position--I haven't been at practices or training camps, though I would love to (hint, hint)--but taking each player's body of work into account should indicate which players are more prepared to lead the charge, and which players are still works in progress.
Our good friends at EA Sports weighed in on who they believe deserves the starting nod. Here's the depth chart at QB according to the new College Football 25 game:
1. Gerry Bohanon
80 Overall
The former Baylor and USF starter is transferring to BYU for his final season of collegiate eligibility. He's had an up and down career, earning the starting spot in Waco before dropping down the depth chart sent him to South Florida. He's apparently impressed coaches through practices, and his experience earns him EA's starting spot by a wide margin.
2. Jake Retzlaff
75 Overall
Retzlaff filled in for the struggling and battered Kedon Slovis midway through the 2023 schedule. The JuCo transfer struggled to find consistency, though he performed well against strong competition like Oklahoma and Oklahoma State--save for a few major miscues. BYU's offense struggled last season, so we'll need to see improvement in Jake's game.
3. Treyson Bourguet
75 Overall
A relative unknown, but a promising prospect, Bourguet transferred to Provo from Western Michigan University. His spot on the team is still fairly unclear but he should be a solid addition to bolster the Cougars' depth.
Of course, BYU's internal player evaluations will carry no regard for a video game's opinion of their team. Though Bohanon seems to have an edge from a skill level perspective, to say that his EA Sports rating will have any bearing as to what will happen in the coaches' discussions would be misguided. Retzlaff may well be the right player for this team, and a surprise prospect may suddenly shoot up the depth chart.
Don't hate the player, hate the game.