BYU Football has had some real talent at quarterback through the years. Steve Young, Jim McMahon, and Ty Detmer were among the greatest ever to play the college game. With recent success in quarterback recruiting, including five-star QB Ryder Lyons, BYU seems to be reclaiming its old moniker of QBU.
Some more recent QBs to live the QBU legacy are Zach Wilson, Taysom Hill, Jaren Hall, and Tanner Mangum. BYU continues to pump out great quarterbacks, and every QB brings something new to the table. Some quarterbacks are good passers, others can run, and some can do both.
I took a look at the 247Sports Composite Rankings for all-time BYU quarterbacks and found the top five. I found superstars and big names, as well as a couple of forgotten names. It goes to show that at the end of a career, high school recruiting numbers can turn out to be very trivial. Let's take a look.
5. Jacob Conover
Jacob Conover was a promising recruit, rated at 86 overall. He signed with BYU in 2020 before transferring to Arizona State in 2022. He is now a Redshirt Junior at Utah State. He mostly played a backup role during the 2021 season and transferred twice. BYU didn't work out, and that's ok. He attended Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona.
4. Zach Wilson
Zach Wilson was rated at 86 overall and made several key plays. He played at High School Football Juggernaut Corner Canyon, and won a few state titles. Wilson served BYU well and led them to several big wins. Wilson was born a Utah fan but ended up going to BYU. After BYU, he played for the New York Jets before leaving for the Miami Dolphins
3. Jake Heaps
Jake Heaps is another BYU quarterback who made it to the professional stage. He started at BYU, but poor performance and a subsequent demotion in favor of Riley Nelson found the once incredible recruit transferring to Kansas, and then to Miami, where he didn't find much stability. Despite a rocky collegiate career, he still found his way to the NFL, where he'd spend time with his hometown Seattle Seahawks.
2. Tanner Mangum
Tanner Mangum was rated at 95 overall. Nicknamed Mangum Miracles due to his knack for getting BYU wins in unexpected ways, he was a favorite among BYU fans. Mangum attended Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho, and quickly became a myth among the BYU faithful for his legendary wins over Nebraska and Boise State while filling in for the injured Taysom Hill. He did not have a professional career, but he's a Cougar great all the same.
1. Ryder Lyons
Ryder Lyons is expected to start in the 2026 season after a one-year Latter-Day-Saint mission. He is the highest recruit in BYU Football history and is highly praised. He is a talented and strong quarterback and is expected to be the starter on day one. He is rated 98 overall and attended Folsom High School in Folsom, California.
These are the top five BYU Football recruits at the quarterback position. BYU has definitely been QBU, and that legacy continues with Ryder Lyons, and BYU should be good for years to come, and the recruiting should only get better from here.