NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay Weighs In On BYU QB Jaren Hall
Sep 27, 2022, 3:44 PM
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – BYU QB Jaren Hall is a trendy name right now in NFL draft circles.
The fifth-year junior put together one of the best performances of his BYU career last Saturday, throwing for 337 yards and completing 81.3% of his passes. Hall is now 12-4 as a starting quarterback during his BYU career, with one of those losses coming in his first start three years ago.
Who doesn't get excited watching @jarenhall3 play?#BYU #GoCougs #BYUFootball https://t.co/E0j4O9h2ZX
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 26, 2022
Since taking over as the full-time starter last year, BYU is 12-3 when Hall plays. Yet, despite his success, college football media often overlook him. That’s fine for Hall because the NFL decision-makers sure aren’t overlooking him.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay highlighted that Hall is a popular commodity. The draft analyst released his top three clear-cut prospects for the 2023 NFL draft: Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young, and Kentucky’s Will Levis.
Then McShay pointed to QB prospects “rising fast” after his conversations with NFL scouts. One of those prospects is Hall.
The clear-cut top-3 QBs in 2023 class are CJ Stroud, Bryce Young and Will Levis. Tyler Van Dyke and Anthony Richardson are loaded with traits but have disappointed. Talking to NFL scouts, these QB’s are rising fast: BYU Jaren Hall, UT Hendon Hooker and Fresno St Jake Haener.
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) September 27, 2022
Along with Hall, McShay highlighted Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and Fresno State’s Jake Heaner as other fast-rising QBs in the 2023 class.
Hall has been outstanding for BYU so far this season. To start the 2022 season, Hall has passed for 1,164 yards through four games, completed 71.5% of his passes, and has a 9 TD-to-1 INT ratio.
Hall had the tall order of replacing Zach Wilson, who was selected No. 2 overall to the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL draft. If Hall becomes a first-round draft pick, it will mark the first time since Marc Wilson and Jim McMahon in the early 1980s that BYU has produced back-to-back first-round QBs.
Hall and BYU return to action on Thursday night against the Utah State Aggies at 6 p.m. on ESPN and KSL NewsRadio.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.