The transfer from Baylor and South Florida appears to have made up some ground on Jake Retzlaff over the summer.
Since spring camp finished in late March, with BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick proclaiming the starting quarterback duel between Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon “neck and neck,” the prevailing impression among writers covering the team has been that Retzlaff seemed to have the upper hand.
This writer, for example, has stated that it is Retzlaff’s responsibility to lose.
However, after a couple of preseason training camp practices, it has become clear that this race is razor-thin, and perhaps Bohanon — who has declared himself 100% healthy — has a much better chance of taking the first snaps when BYU opens its 2024 season on August 31 against Southern Illinois than most people believe.
Some offensive players believe the former Baylor and South Florida starter brings a new level of confidence to the huddle, and his experience as a former Big 12 and Sugar Bowl quarterback is evident.
“Gerry is flat-out a winner and a leader,” receiver Darius Lassiter said during Big 12 football media days in Las Vegas last month. “We know one of those players can be our starting quarterback on August 31. “We know they’re both good quarterbacks.”
At the same event, redshirt junior receiver Chase Roberts said Retzlaff demonstrated in the last two games of 2023 — close losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State — that he has what it takes to move the offense, while also noting that Bohanon “brings credibility” from his work at Baylor, where he led the Bears to a 12-2 record in 2021.
“Fans should be excited about both of those guys,” Roberts added.
Lassiter stated that at player-run workouts this summer, the returning receivers promised to make sure both quarterbacks had the best of everyone.
“We (said) that we needed to be available for both of them.” “We must be able to make the same plays for one as we do for the other,” Lassiter stated. “It’s not easy to step into a Big 12 game, your first start in college football, against Oklahoma or anyone. We just want to be there for everyone.”
When camp opened on Wednesday, Bohanon stated that he was not completely immersed in spring camp but is now and ready to “truly compete.”
He said he’s seen how eager returning players are to participate in a bowl game in 2024 and believes he has the knowledge to help them get there.
“Since I have been here, I have been talking to the guys, saying you watch the Big 12, every year it is somebody different winning it,” said the freshman. “… It’s a large conference, so I tell the guys every weekend that we need to come in and work.
“We can’t ever expect to come in and just win,” Bohanon said. “We must earn the right to win each day. If you don’t earn it every week, you can’t expect others to do it for you. They exercise, run, lift, and practice in the same way that we do. So we have to go out there and earn the right to win.”
Coach Kalani Sitake said Wednesday that the fact that Bohanon was with the ones when the media was permitted to watch practice for the final 15 minutes or so should not be taken too seriously, and that both quarterbacks are getting equal reps and opportunities to play with the rest of the first team.
“Their job is to make it hard on us to make a decision, but I feel comfortable having a bunch of guys who can do it,” Sitake told me. “So we’ll go with the best option. “That one hasn’t stood out yet.”
Sitake stated that the starting quarterback choice will not be made during the first week of camp, and that there is no timeline for selecting a starter.
Bohanon connected with receiver Parker Kingston on a couple of medium-length passes on Wednesday, and he appeared crisp and decisive. He did had a throw intercepted by defensive lineman David Latu, but he claims his understanding of the offense has improved significantly since March.
“Everybody knows it takes some time to just really learn (the offense) and just know it,” he told me. “Now I am at a good point where I can just get out there and react to whatever the defense does.”
Bohanon said one of his talents is his ability to run with the football, and he will not hesitate to add it to the BYU offense’s arsenal now that his surgically repaired shoulder is completely recovered.
“You can pull the defenders (away from point of attack),” he told me. “Once you run the ball a few times as a quarterback, they have to respect it. They have to keep a person on the backside watching you.”
