BYU’s Oddly Weak Portal QB Résumé

Shower Thought - June 2, 2025

Audio Transcript

"The most important job opening at any university, isn't provost, econ professor, Dean of Students or the parking enforcement narc with the visor. It's the quarterback!

During Johnny Manziel's time at Texas A&M the school raised $740 million dollars in donations.

During Joe Burrow's time at LSU, the school reported a $50 million dollar boost in donations.

Cam Newton gave Auburn a $30 million surge in merchandise sales.

Robert Griffin III at Baylor changed the whole trajectory of athletics in Waco.

Here locally how about Cam Rising at Utah or Chuckie Keaton at Utah State.

Quarterbacks bring winning, winning brings exposure, exposure brings higher enrollment, higher enrollment brings money, money brings new libraries, bigger budgets, higher paid provosts!!

Now, in this QB market, any self respecting school can just go and buy a quarterback every season. It's like Bitcoin, everybody's gotten rich quick at the quarterback position.

Notre Dame went to the title with Riley Leonard, Cam Ward at Miami, Kurtis Rourke at Indiana....everyone has taken the portal seriously for QB's...everyone except BYU.

Here's who BYU has brought in through the portal at the quarterback position.

McCae Hillstead a backup at Utah State, Treyson Bourguet a backup at Western Michigan! Bear Bachmeier who hasn't played. Gerry Bohanon who was a sub .500 quarterback from USF.Cade Fennegan who never got a shot from Boise, Kedon Slovis a .500 quarterback who got benched midway through the year. I know they got Jake Retzlaff as a rare JC transfer, and he did well last season, but still, he wasn't a homerun hire.

Most schools will look back at this bull market era for quarterbacks with fondness. The era they finally got a quarterback to campus. Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt, Eli Holstein at Pitt, Kyle McCord at Syracuse...If Retzlaff is out, BYU is going to be starting a backup from the MAC or a backup from the MWC. And if Retzlaff does play they're still playing a game manager who finished with the 11th best QBR in the Big 12 last year."