2018 QB Preview

https://cougarfanatycs.com/2018/01/29/2018-early-position-preview-quarterbacks/



Projected depth chart:

(compare to https://www.loyalcougars.com/football-roster/depth-chart/)



QB 1 – Tanner Mangum*

QB 2 – Beau Hoge

QB 3 – Kody Wilstead

QB 4 – Koy Detmer Jr. (transferred)



Redshirt – Joe Critchlow, Jaren Hall, Stacy Conner

The change in offensive coordinator really enhanced the prospects of Jaren Hall and Beau Hoge at BYU.

There isn't a BYU QB on the roster about whom I'm excited. I have no confidence in any of the right now.

We have so many QBs, someone has to break out and be good.

After what he's been through, I'm pulling for Tanner. Really like some of the things I've seen out of Hoge as well though.

The QB battle is wide open. I hope somebody emerges and seizes the opportunity and that the competition brings out the best in those who win the spot.

Fido wrote:

The QB battle is wide open. I hope somebody emerges and seizes the opportunity and that the competition brings out the best in those who win the spot.

I hope the QB battle is wide open. I don't want any favorites being played here. I don't want Tanner just given the QB1 job if he's able to come back from his injury in time. I want a true open competition to find the best QB.

byufan4ever wrote:

The QB battle is wide open. I hope somebody emerges and seizes the opportunity and that the competition brings out the best in those who win the spot.

I hope the QB battle is wide open. I don't want any favorites being played here. I don't want Tanner just given the QB1 job if he's able to come back from his injury in time. I want a true open competition to find the best QB.

This puts tanner in a bad spot with fans. If he gets the job and he doesn't light the scoreboard up (like Taysom in 16) he'll get the "favoritism label. But I agree, let the best guy go out and compete.

Well he can't practice spring camp and possible fall camp. So it is unlikely he will start game 1.

BroncoBot wrote:

This puts tanner in a bad spot with fans. If he gets the job and he doesn't light the scoreboard up (like Taysom in 16) he'll get the "favoritism label. But I agree, let the best guy go out and compete.

Tanner is already in a bad spot with fans after his season last year, isn't he?

Fido wrote:

This puts tanner in a bad spot with fans. If he gets the job and he doesn't light the scoreboard up (like Taysom in 16) he'll get the "favoritism label. But I agree, let the best guy go out and compete.

Tanner is already in a bad spot with fans after his season last year, isn't he?

Definitely. But was it Tanner or the system or the OC or the line or the inept coaching staff or... or.... or...

Tanner also had a superb freshman campaign, what changed?

Remember everyone calling for Taysom to sit so Tanner could save the football team in 2016? seems silly now. Fans are fickle.

BroncoBot wrote:

BroncoBot wrote:

This puts tanner in a bad spot with fans. If he gets the job and he doesn't light the scoreboard up (like Taysom in 16) he'll get the "favoritism label. But I agree, let the best guy go out and compete.

Tanner is already in a bad spot with fans after his season last year, isn't he?

Definitely. But was it Tanner or the system or the OC or the line or the inept coaching staff or... or.... or...

Tanner also had a superb freshman campaign, what changed?

Remember everyone calling for Taysom to sit so Tanner could save the football team in 2016? seems silly now. Fans are fickle.

Fans are indeed fickle. I know I am. Was it just Tanner's fault? No. But he played pretty bad and contributed to it. He looked off from the first game of the year but nobody ever wants to hear any criticism of QB1. He looked off in the bowl game from the previous year. He looked off in the spring game. But people kept making excuses and he basically wasn't given any competition or fear for his QB1 status.



I challenge everyone to go back and re-watch a game from his freshman year. Choose a game after his two hail marys. Focus on him and come back and report with as least bias as possible. You can find most home games on BYUtv.



I actually did this one day this past summer when I was bored and was trying to get myself hyped for the upcoming football season. In my mind I had this perfect picture of Tanner with his awesome hail mary passes and all of those yards that he threw for. I think I picked the Cincinnati game. Overall, he had good stats for the game and we won. But I remember thinking that he didn't actually look that great and that he constantly got bailed out by chucking long bombs that our tall receivers would go fight for.

Timely article from Harmon:

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900010592/for-byus-roderick-picking-right-qb-will-be-no-easy-task.html



“My last year at Utah, we had two quarterbacks on scholarship in the room and now, here, we have eight with a ninth soon to return,” said Roderick.



“We are going to have to get that number down just to manage things. People don’t realize you only have 15 practices in the spring and then you have 29 in the fall before your first game, so, that’s not a lot of time. Then in each practice, you have X number of reps and you have to divide that up between three or four guys.

Will Roderick be a decent QB coach?



Re: Tanner: I'm still hoping he comes in and does great! I love the kid and think he has potential at the next level ... but maybe I'm just dreaming. I think he as been saved by tall receivers who would fight for the ball, but that is kind of like saying that Joe Montana was saved by Clark making a great catch in the end zone or Rice having great hands. (I am NOT saying Tanner is Montana ... just that great (or even good) receivers ALWAYS help a QB look better.) Tanner has heart, he has talent, but for some reason he seemed lost much of the time last year. I hope he gets over it.



Whoever gets the #1 position, I am hoping for a great year for them ... but realistically I figure some improvement over last year, and hopefully bowl eligible. Beyond that, I refuse to get very optimistic.

Maybe it was due to having no confidence in his receivers.

scott715 wrote:

Maybe it was due to having no confidence in his receivers.

I think that had to be at least part of it. It would be a terrible situation to know to whom you SHOULD throw, but not knowing whether a) they made the same read as you, and therefore whether they will be where they should be; or b) whether they will run hard or not; or c) whether they will fight for the ball if it isn't perfect; or d) all of the above ...

Probably was a combination of things as opposed to a single variable.



Bad OL. Lousy WRs. Lack of confidence.



New year. New coach. Hopefully we see a new Tanner.

byufan4ever wrote:

Fido wrote:

This puts tanner in a bad spot with fans. If he gets the job and he doesn't light the scoreboard up (like Taysom in 16) he'll get the "favoritism label. But I agree, let the best guy go out and compete.

Tanner is already in a bad spot with fans after his season last year, isn't he?

Definitely. But was it Tanner or the system or the OC or the line or the inept coaching staff or... or.... or...

Tanner also had a superb freshman campaign, what changed?

Remember everyone calling for Taysom to sit so Tanner could save the football team in 2016? seems silly now. Fans are fickle.

Fans are indeed fickle. I know I am. Was it just Tanner's fault? No. But he played pretty bad and contributed to it. He looked off from the first game of the year but nobody ever wants to hear any criticism of QB1. He looked off in the bowl game from the previous year. He looked off in the spring game. But people kept making excuses and he basically wasn't given any competition or fear for his QB1 status.



I challenge everyone to go back and re-watch a game from his freshman year. Choose a game after his two hail marys. Focus on him and come back and report with as least bias as possible. You can find most home games on BYUtv.



I actually did this one day this past summer when I was bored and was trying to get myself hyped for the upcoming football season. In my mind I had this perfect picture of Tanner with his awesome hail mary passes and all of those yards that he threw for. I think I picked the Cincinnati game. Overall, he had good stats for the game and we won. But I remember thinking that he didn't actually look that great and that he constantly got bailed out by chucking long bombs that our tall receivers would go fight for.

I think you nailed it with the "tall receivers". I'd loved to have seen a healthy Taysom Hill in 2015 with those receivers. Would have been a hard offense to cover.

Another timely article, focusing on Tanner's rehab and his desire to be the starter:



https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900010776/byu-s-tanner-mangum-is-making-a-comeback-here-s-his-approach.html

Of all the QB’s, including the red-shirts, I would rank them in the following order, respecting their readiness and ability to compete right now:



1: Hoge

2: Critchlow

3: Mangum

4: Wilstead

5: Conner

6: Hall



Some caveats:



Mangum is obviously not ready to go right now, but I didn’t want to put him at the very bottom of of the list, so, my bad.

Hoge is perhaps injury prone, and Mangum could easily leap to the top if he gets his mojo back by the end of fall camp. Tanner may perhaps remain prone to injury even then, so he’s kind of a wild card on any list. I thought Critchlow was solid when he played last season, and no injury that I know of. I would have called it a tie between Jaren Hall and Stacy Conner, as they were both real gamers in high school. However, Conner is more fresh from that experience, while Hall may have mission rust.



My biggest hope is for Mangum to find his mojo again.



As an aside, I was surprised how far Zaddock D fell after his de-commit from BYU. Going to some place called Navarro College (he once had an offer from LSU)?



There is also a QB coming named Romney that is supposed to be a 3-star. He is either a brother or cousin to 4-star WR Gunner Romney. So that could be interesting. Don’t know if he’s enrolling now, or going on a mission. Don’t know enough about him to know where to rank him.