Jaren Hall Latest As BYU Gets Ready To Leave For New Mexico

PROVO, Utah – The official status of BYU quarterback Jaren Hall remains in question entering Saturday’s New Mexico Bowl (5:30 p.m., ABC & KSL NewsRadio).

After Tuesday’s practice, which took place in the Indoor Practice Facility due to the snowy conditions, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick spoke with the media.

Aaron Roderick gives an update on Jaren Hall

One of the first questions asked to Roderick was centered around his star quarterback, who is dealing with an ankle injury.

#BYU OC Aaron Roderick with the latest update on QB Jaren Hall.

“Yesterday, I thought he had a great chance to play. Today I’d say his chances aren’t as good as I hoped.”#BYUFootball #NewMexicoBowl pic.twitter.com/BFk81s8DHB

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 14, 2022

“Yesterday, I thought he had a great chance to play. Today, I would say his chances are not quite as good as I had hoped. But there’s still a chance,” Roderick said to reporters inside the Student Athlete Building.

Jaren Hall was not made available to the media after Tuesday’s practice.

BYU takes off for Albuquerque on Wednesday

BYU gets ready to leave for Albuquerque on Wednesday. The 7-5 Cougars will arrive in the Land of Enchantment around 2:30 p.m. (MT) to begin bowl festivities and continue their preparations for the 7-5 SMU Mustangs from the American Athletic Conference.

If Jaren is out, BYU will have to turn to a backup quarterback for the first time since last year’s Independence Bowl. But there’s a big difference with this year’s situation.

Last season, Aaron Roderick had the luxury of turning to a proven commodity in Baylor Romney at quarterback. Romney had won big games for BYU in the past. If Hall was hurt, they could always turn to Romney. This year? Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters is the only backup in the program right now that’s taken a snap in a BYU game.

That was two years ago in blowouts against Navy and North Alabama. The other quarterback with post-high school experience is Cade Fennegan. Fennegan, a native of Dallas –home to SMU– also played two years ago. But that was as a member of the Boise State Broncos.

Will Cade Fennegan start in replace of Jaren Hall?

Fennegan is listed as the second-string quarterback behind Jaren Hall on this week’s depth chart. But Roderick didn’t want to tip his hand as to who would be the next guy in line if Hall was out.

“We’re still giving all those guys reps to sort it out,” Roderick said. “Cade’s also been battling an injury that happened in practice a while back. He’s healthy, though; he’s going now. But he missed some time off, so we’re getting him going again.”

The injury Roderick was referring to for Fennegan was an ankle injury. Fennegan had the setback with his ankle in early November, leading up to the Boise State game.

What does Roderick want to see from his backups if their number is called on Saturday against an SMU defense that ranks 118th in total defense nationally?

“Just who can run the team and run our offense? There’s a lot to it. It’s getting everybody lined up, the cadence, the different tempos we use, making sure everybody’s where they are supposed to be, remembering a shift and a motion, and a snap count. There are a lot of things,” Roderick said. “All those guys are talented. They’re all good enough to win. It’s a matter of who can function the most efficiently with our offense and with our team.”

BYU vs. SMU

2022 New Mexico Bowl

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. (MT)

TV: ABC

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM – Extended pregame begins at Noon)

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. Mitch will be in Albuquerque for the 2022 New Mexico Bowl between BYU and SMU. Follow his coverage on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.

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