The Upsides and Downsides of New BYU Quarterback Gerry Bohanon

Unlike Kedon Slovis had to do last year, he won't have to learn a new system, and BYU's coaches don't have to project his fit in the system. Bohanon won't be handed the starting job, but his knowledge and experience in the system will benefit him in the upcoming quarterback competition.

During his BYU tenure, Aaron Roderick has coached up multiple quarterbacks to play at a high level. If BYU is able to help Bohanon return to his 2021 form, this would be a good pickup for a BYU quarterback room in a transitional season.

2. Mobility

Coming out of high school, Gerry Bohanon was a four-star recruit and one of the top 10 dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. He has over 1,000 rushing yards on his career. After last season, BYU will prioritize mobility at quarterback for as long as Aaron Roderick is the offensive coordinator. Should Bohanon win the starting job, opposing defenses will have to account for his running ability.

3. Experience in Big 12

Gerry Bohanon knows exactly what it takes to win a Big 12 championship - he's done it before. Regardless of what he contributes on the field, he will bring invaluable, winning experience to the roster.

4. Elevated competition

In college football, competition brings out the best in players. Whether Gerry Bohanon, Jake Retzlaff, or one of the young guys starts for BYU next year, Bohanon will elevate the competition in the room. Competition also corresponds with depth. Most Big 12 teams were forced to start at least two different quarterbacks in 2023. History suggests that BYU will play more than one quarterback in 2024. In terms of adding depth, Bohanon is a great addition.

The Downsides

1. 2021 was a long time ago

By the time September rolls around, it will have been two years since Gerry Bohanon played in a college football game at USF. It will have been three years since Bohanon was the starter at Baylor.

It's very, very difficult to take a year off in college football and return to peak performance. Take BYU offensive tackle Simi Moala, for example. Moala was a multi-year starter at tackle for Utah before taking a year off from football and transferring to BYU. Moala made the depth chart, but he never cracked the starting rotation in a year where BYU played some musical chairs at tackle.

It's not impossible, but history suggest Gerry Bohanon has an uphill climb before he can return to his former self.

2. Some numbers of concern

Bohanon was productive in 2021. Outside of 2021, there are some concerning statistics in his past. In 2022 at USF, Bohanon threw for 1,070 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions while completing 59.6% of his passes. That year, he played against four teams that were either in the Power Five or were transitioning into the Power Five: Florida, Lousiville, BYU, and Cincinnati.

In those four games, he completed 51% of his passes while averaging 120 passing yards per game. He threw two touchdowns and five interceptions in those four games. For context, Jake Retzlaff completed 50% of his passes while averaging 162 passing yards against four Power Five teams. Retzlaff threw three touchdowns and three interceptions in those four games. 

Bohanon's floor looks very similar to Jake Retzlaff's performance in 2023. Retzlaff, however, was making his first career starts. When you did a side-by-side comparison of Bohanon at USF and Retzlaff in 2023, they look very similar.

4. Quarterback continuity

Turning the keys of the offense to a new quarterback every year will lead to bad offense in the long term. In the scenario where Gerry Bohanon wins the starting job, BYU will need to find another new starter in 2025. If BYU wants to win the Big 12, they will have to be a developmental program. That is true at every position, but it's especially true at quarterback. Sustained success will require quarterback continuity. Bohanon can't provide that.