Provo • Even with the quarterback position still in flux going into its second year in the Big 12, BYU is comfortable with the options it has in the room.
The Cougars will not go mining for another quarterback when the transfer portal opens up, offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said.
It means he will ride with either incumbent starter Jake Retzlaff or USF transfer Gerry Bohanon to open up the year. Fellow transfer Treyson Bourguet made strides to possibly be the third quarterback on the depth chart.
“We are still working our way through it,” Roderick said of the quarterback battle. “But those guys [Retzlaff and Bohanon] did a lot of good things this spring.”
Roderick said the coaching staff will not name a starter until fall camp.
BYU still has a glut of quarterbacks on the roster.
Behind Retzlaff and Bohanon — who are splitting reps with the first team — there is Bourguet, Cade Fennegan and Ryder Burton.
Bourguet got to campus this January after coming from Western Michigan and put together an impressive spring camp. In two years at Western Michigan, he played in 10 games and threw for 1,314 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
His playmaking ability and touch downfield earned him more reps behind the two starting candidates.
He is battling with Fennegan, a veteran of the system who is going on his fourth year at BYU. He’s never played in a game in Provo. But head coach Kalani Sitake praised his knowledge of the offense. Burton is in his second year.
“Looking at the playing field right now, you can see the positives of both [Retzlaff and Bohanan],” Sitake said. “In the meantime, other guys are stepping up like Bourguet and Fennegan. Just keep competing.”
With this many quarterbacks in the room — 10 were on the roster to start spring camp — it might be reasonable to expect some to enter the transfer portal. Nick Billoups already entered the portal during spring camp.
Sitake said he doesn’t have a target number of quarterbacks he wants to carry on the fall roster.
“Attrition is part of the game,” Sitake said. “Now with the portal, it makes it even harder. It’s what they are allowed to do. We just got to work with the guys who want to be here. We feel good with the guys that are going to be here.
“I don’t know the exact number. I know we need to have four to be able to play.”
