Kody Wilstead to transfer (confirmed)

Well, you knew all the stallions wouldn't fit in the barn--there are few QB's that want to ride the pine, especially with Wilstead's potential. Shame it didn't work out for him here. Probably go on and be successful and there will be those lamenting the fact that he didn't stay.



Kody Wilstead #3 | Quarterback

Ht/Wt 6'6" | 223lbs

Class Freshman

Hometown St. George, UT

Mission Neuquen, Argentina

Last School Pine View HS

Roster Years 2017-2018

Before BYU

Prepped at Pine View High School

Totaled 9,654 passing yards and 92 touchdowns in high school

SoCall Elite 11 top performer by 247Sports

Coached by Ray Hosner

Also recruited by Louisville

By some accounts he was the best QB on the roster last year and was being held out to preserve his redshirt after the disaster of the year we had.

Another loss of Detmer's firing? If Detmer did think he was the best QB on the roster and didn't play him because he wanted to keep the RS, that's stupid. Play who you think is best and will help you win games. Because when you lose games as a coach, you wind up getting fired. And then you get fired with, potentially, your best players on the bench not helping you win.

Criddle didn't like Wilstead at all.

Man, he was the QB I was most excited about. Did he not feel he could win the QB battle or that there would be a fair QB battle?

byufan4ever wrote:

Man, he was the QB I was most excited about. Did he not feel he could win the QB battle or that there would be a fair QB battle?

I think he realized he was 5th on the depth chart.

Mars wrote:

Man, he was the QB I was most excited about. Did he not feel he could win the QB battle or that there would be a fair QB battle?

I think he realized he was 5th on the depth chart.

I don't think we should have a QB depth chart at this point. I want a truly wide open QB battle with no favorites or preferences given to anybody. Let the best QB win and start. With a new offensive coaching staff I was hopeful that this might happen. But now I'm not. That was probably just wishful thinking. Sigh...

I have no problem with a kid realizing that he's not good enough to start at BYU going somewhere else. I imagine that he saw the writing on the wall when he was on the sideline all of last year, meaning that he had a redshirt -and BYU still brought in as many QB's as it did. Clearly the Coaches didn't believe him to be the answer. They may be wrong (they are wrong on other things all the time, but they have more insight into the situation than I do) - so good for him for finding his better way.

1. (Mangum)

2. Hoge

3. Wilson

4. Critchlow



If this list changes anytime soon, it will be interesting, that's for sure.



As an aside, I don't really put much faith in Roderick.

I think he was the scout team QB last year. The coaches should have seen a lot of what he could do.

Mars wrote:

1. (Mangum)

2. Hoge

3. Wilson

4. Critchlow



If this list changes anytime soon, it will be interesting, that's for sure.



As an aside, I don't really put much faith in Roderick.

Critchlow isn't good enough to be 4th. He really should be an 8th string guy you keep around just to throw passes to receivers in practice. A warm body.

hawkwing wrote:

1. (Mangum)

2. Hoge

3. Wilson

4. Critchlow



If this list changes anytime soon, it will be interesting, that's for sure.



As an aside, I don't really put much faith in Roderick.

Critchlow isn't good enough to be 4th. He really should be an 8th string guy you keep around just to throw passes to receivers in practice. A warm body.

I think that's a little harsh (and I feel that I usually grade our players pretty harshly). He had his ups and downs last year, but he was definitely better than Detmer Jr and on a normal roster that doesn't have 5 QBs getting injured he wouldn't have even seen the field. I don't have a problem potentially ranking him 4th or 5th.



But if Wilson truly was in 3rd position coming into camp that's not too bad considering the two above him have had injuries. If he has the talent (now) he should have been able to set himself apart early in the spring camp and then have a lead going into fall camp.



I suspect that there's something else going on here and I don't like it.

byufan4ever wrote:

Mars wrote:

1. (Mangum)

2. Hoge

3. Wilson

4. Critchlow



If this list changes anytime soon, it will be interesting, that's for sure.



As an aside, I don't really put much faith in Roderick.

Critchlow isn't good enough to be 4th. He really should be an 8th string guy you keep around just to throw passes to receivers in practice. A warm body.

I think that's a little harsh (and I feel that I usually grade our players pretty harshly). He had his ups and downs last year, but he was definitely better than Detmer Jr and on a normal roster that doesn't have 5 QBs getting injured he wouldn't have even seen the field. I don't have a problem potentially ranking him 4th or 5th.



But if Wilson truly was in 3rd position coming into camp that's not too bad considering the two above him have had injuries. If he has the talent (now) he should have been able to set himself apart early in the spring camp and then have a lead going into fall camp.



I suspect that there's something else going on here and I don't like it.

I would agree that Koy Detmer Jr. was worse than Critchlow. He really never should have been on the team.

LoyalCougars said Wilstead is considering SUU.

byufan4ever wrote:



I suspect that there's something else going on here and I don't like it.

I"m curious ... what do you suspect?



If your suspicion has to do with Roderick, I'm probably in agreement.

mtnradio wrote:

I suspect that there's something else going on here and I don't like it.

I"m curious ... what do you suspect?



If your suspicion has to do with Roderick, I'm probably in agreement.

I suspect favorites are being played and Wilstead saw that he wasn't being given a fair shake. I suspect that Tanner will be our starter regardless of how well other QBs play and regardless of how well/poorly he plays (or doesn't play because of his injury).



And if Tanner proves himself I'm fine with that. I just want a fair and honest QB battle. If Wilstead thought he had a chance of winning the starter role (and I think he had the talent to do it) then I don't think he transfers.

Word was all the QBs were going to have to earn their time--and Wilstead pulled the rip cord pretty early in the spring camp. I get not believing he was going to beat out senior Mangum and junior Hoge. But then Wilson has been taking things by storm. Does that mean Wilstead isn't being given a fair shake? Or is not being able to separate himself from the crowd? Just because a guy you like doesn't rise to the top fast enough doesn't mean he isn't being given a fair shake.

I'm a little concerned about some of these moves. Kafentzis is now on the other side of the ball as a safety.



Tuiaki was talking before practice this morning about how it was Kalani's idea and how Kalani has a great eye for deciding what positions different players would be best at, and this was an example of that.



Then after practice, Kafentzis gets interviewed and says "Yeah, I never got a fair shake as far as reps go, so the writing was on the wall, and I asked to make the move to safety."



That's not a good look to have players and coaches telling diametrically different accounts, and it further belies the fact that the QB competition has not been as open as the coaches want to make it sound in the media.



The coaches need the story to be "QB competition was wide-open, and player X is our guy after giving everyone a shot." Unfortunately, with 8 QBs on the roster and limited practices to implement a new offense, the reality is that someone's "fair shot" is going to be about 8 snaps. But we need the myth to get the team to buy in, the fans to support the guy, and recruits watching the program to not be turned off by quick cuts and decisions.

Oh, I'm not doubting that the players who are not floating to the top don't feel like they had a "fair shot". But did anyone look at Kafentzis and think he was one of the top 3-4 guys? He is a junior this fall and has his best chance to get on the field at another position. Whether the coaches coached him there or he made that decision to go there to compete for time, why is this bad? What was going on last year sure didn't work.



And not all the media stories paint it as a "fully open equal-opportunity QB competition":

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

...

“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.



“There is no perfect way, and I’m not perfect, but I will do my best to find the best way to develop them and make those choices.”

...

"So I think it is important to let them know where your interests lie. Having said that, we’re going to have to trim down a large number of quarterbacks to a manageable number. It’s going to be hard, but there just aren’t enough reps to go around so we are going to have to make some tough decisions.”

...

It is imperative BYU’s coaches have one or more of these athletes step up and take charge in player-driven offseason practices and pass sessions.



“It’s actually been happening already. One thing that happens at BYU is those players are self-starters and get it done. We have players here who are going to go put in the work without us being around. They do it on their own and I have a lot of confidence in that part of it,” said Roderick.

...

With all the QB choices, Roderick will have to use a lot of diplomacy. Whittling it down to a productive three or four will be one of his biggest challenges.



Those who aren't getting what they feel is a fair shake rep-wise to me fall into one of these categories:

- Aren't what the new staff looks for in a QB, or are less so than their competition

- Haven't emerged as natural leaders among the team during the off-season workouts

- Are not expected to break into the top 3-4 candidates that Roderick needs to filter down before fall