As spring ball ends, BYU coaches weigh in on QB derby between Jake Retzlaff, Gerry Bohanon

PROVO — The phrase “quarterback competitors” has been thrown into the trendy lexicon of the sport so typically that it typically will get misused by followers and observers across the nation.

In utilizing the time period to explain the previous 15 practices at BYU between Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon, it comes with a key disclaimer: these guys are nonetheless teammates.

As competitors goes, Retzlaff and Bohanon are as pleasant as they arrive.

“It is all the time humorous to me, after I see a graphical comparability earlier than soccer video games or whatnot between quarterbacks, the quarterbacks do not really play in opposition to one another,” Retzlaff stated with a humble snicker. “Positive, it is a competitors between me and him, however I am not really enjoying in opposition to him. It is easy to like the man and to embrace the man. He is my man, as a result of I am on the offense’s facet — irrespective of who’s in at any place. I hope we dominate every single day in each side of the sport.

“I really feel like individuals drop ‘competitors’ like there is a rivalry, however there is no rivalry in any way. That is not the way it works. … We’re within the locker room every single day. We sit subsequent to one another. We carry weights with one another. It is simply two guys competing to play a place, and we each see it the identical approach.”

Nonetheless, within the fashionable world of school soccer — and maybe that speaks to media and followers’ remark of the game, as a lot as anything — the time period “competitors” raises the stakes.

No fewer than seven questions have been requested of offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick as he met with the media for the ultimate time after the Cougars put the ending touches on spring practices Saturday on the indoor observe facility.

Head coach Kalani Sitake additionally addressed the quarterback competitors between incumbent Retzlaff and Bohanon, the newcomer from Baylor and USF who each additionally met individually with the media the remainder of Saturday afternoon earlier than departing for offseason exercises on campus and in California with former BYU quarterback John Beck.

Sitake has known as the quarterback competitors “neck-and-neck” a number of instances, with Retzlaff taking the early benefit and Bohanon sometimes taking the lead or ending the race that’s too near name.

In relation to naming a starter, Sitake and Roderick will work collectively within the determination — although Roderick has historically had a barely bigger position, as a consequence of his work as quarterbacks coach and as offensive coordinator — and each would like a starter to be discovered nicely upfront of the season opener Aug. 31 in opposition to FCS foe Southern Illinois.

“The earlier the higher can be good,” Sitake stated, “however I feel that somebody’s acquired to take it. The enjoying area has positives of each of these guys. Within the meantime, different guys are stepping up like Treyson Bourget and others. I feel it is accomplished too many good issues for Jake and for Gerry, as nicely.”

That is tremendous by each sign callers. Bohanon, for instance, was open that he is “nonetheless acquired some work to do” after lacking final season with an harm.

“I felt like I made some huge enhancements,” Bohanon stated. “I went into it with an open mindset of studying every thing, attending to know the fellows, and getting again into the groove. Coming off the harm, it was vital to get on the market and attempt to discover my ft once more.”

Here is what Roderick needed to say concerning the quarterback derby.

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Q. Clearly, everyone seems to be within the QB battle. How is that going?

“It is going nicely, and , it is solely 15 practices. We’ll get about double that in fall camp. We’re nonetheless working our approach via it, however I believed each of these guys did lots of good issues this spring.”

Q. What are their strengths, and the way distinctive are each quarterbacks?

“They’re really extra comparable than they’re totally different. They’re each athletic, they each could make the throws that we want them to make on this offseason, and so they’re each actually good. In fact, Gerry has somewhat extra expertise general. Jake has the benefit of figuring out our offense somewhat higher than Gerry does. It has been a very good battle.”

Q. Is the battle going to enter fall?

“It will go into fall, yeah.”

Q. What would you like them to work on this summer season, earlier than fall camp?

“In Gerry’s case, it is simply getting extra snug with the language of our offense, the place you get to the purpose the place he does not have to consider what the phrases imply. You’ll be able to simply go play. In Jake’s case, it is persevering with to take nice care of the ball. Jake had zero interceptions the entire spring; I feel that is the primary time I’ve ever had a quarterback go 15 practices with out throwing an interception. We have been not speaking about it — it is like having a no-hitter — however he made it via observe 15 right this moment and not using a decide. That was a giant deal, as a result of final yr he had some vital turnovers. The aim of spring was to eradicate these, and he did a very good job of that.”

Q. What would be the No. 1 standards for choosing the beginning quarterback?

“The man that takes one of the best care of the ball and strikes the group one of the best; it is these two issues, mixed. You’ll be able to deal with the ball, for those who’re actually conservative and do not ever do something with it, so we would like that stability of with the ability to be aggressive and transfer the group, but in addition nonetheless deal with the soccer.”

Q. You famous that Retzlaff had no interceptions in these passes. How a lot of these passes have been downfield?

“That was lots. We ran our offense. We throw the ball down the sector on this offense. It isn’t like we have been being conservative; we have been simply enjoying soccer.”

Q. Would you think about including one other quarterback within the switch portal, post-spring?

“No.”