PROVO, Utah – All eyes were focused on the BYU Quarterbacks during the media observation portion at the end of practice, which saw Jaren Hall take the first snap.

The quarterback position is the biggest of many position battles this fall.

New offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick told the media that he would like to have a starter in place with “7 to 10 days” prior to kickoff against Arizona.

day one in the books ✔️ pic.twitter.com/go9ngGOksk

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) August 6, 2021

Here are my three observations from the first media attended practice since the pandemic began.

1. No live work for the quarterbacks

Aaron Roderick was asked how much live work the quarterbacks would get in camp. His answer, “None.”

This is a brilliant move by Roderick. There’s no need to risk injury in camp.

Both Jaren Hall and Baylor Romney have played in meaningful games at BYU.

Gunslingers 🎯🎯 pic.twitter.com/UdVM9qAdiZ

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) August 6, 2021

One might argue that Navy got destroyed by BYU last year because they didn’t have any “live” work in their preparation for the Cougars.

In the words of Lee Corso, “not so fast my friend,”

The Cougars won that game because they dominated in the trenches. Tackling had little to do with the outcome.

“Shoot man, I hope I never get hit,” joked Hall when asked about getting tackled for the first time.

“That’s the plan right? Avoid all of that,” said Hall.

The Cougars should avoid tackling as much as possible to ensure optimum health heading into the opener.

2. Neil Pau’u sure handed

Pau’u is somewhat of a forgotten man in the wide receiver room. Many believed he would be relegated to second string after the additions of the Nacua brothers.

However, Pau’u was the stand out receiver from the first day of camp. He led the group in receptions.

The 6’4’’ receiver hauled in the biggest catch of the final practice period, scoring a touchdown on a long pass from Jaren Hall.

It was a beautiful pass from Hall who found Pau’u running in stride at the goal line.

Don’t be surprised if Pau’u is a day one starter for BYU.

3. Jaren Hall taking the first snap

Let’s not overreact to much from seeing Hall lead the offense on the first series of 11 on 11 with media watching.

This practice, along with the next four, were scripted in the summer.

However, it’s still notable that Hall took the first snap with the first team offense.

In case you missed any of the news from #BYU fall camp. Our BYU Insider @Mitch_Harper gets you up to speed. 👀

Football season is back! 🏈 #BYUFootball #CampKalani #GoCougs https://t.co/8Usd0TVr6y pic.twitter.com/HsYqgZLFv5

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 6, 2021

Baylor Romney also saw time with the first-team offense later in the period.

From what I saw, Hall was the best quarterback of the day.

There’s a long way to go still, but in my estimation, Hall is the front runner to take the first snap against the Wildcats.

You can hear Matt Baiamonte every Saturday on KSL Newsradio for Cougar Sports Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or you can find him on Twitter here.