BYU backup quarterback Gerry Bohanon refuses to hang his head, or move that ever-present smile from his face.
After losing an intense starting quarterback competition to Jake Retzlaff when preseason training camp ended nearly two weeks ago, the graduate transfer from Baylor and South Florida has been "awesome" with the way he's handled the situation, coach Kalani Sitake said Saturday night after Retzlaff led the Cougars to a 41-13 win over Southern Illinois.
Bohanon, 24, displayed that same attitude Tuesday night after practice when he met with reporters to discuss the competition and his reaction to learning that he would start the season holding the proverbial clipboard on the sidelines. The former Elite 11 QB and four-star recruit from Earle, Arkansas, could easily have been forgiven for begging off of the interview, but he chatted for nearly seven minutes, and remained positive throughout.
"Just continue to get better, continue to push him, make sure I am always ready and make sure he is getting better every day," Bohanon said of his plan moving forward. "We are both really good players. We competed, and you really didn't know (who would win). I just felt like they were going to go with the best guy, and the next guy always has to be ready. It is (my) job to be ready and continue to help the next guy."
Bohanon's long journey to BYU has been well-documented. He has won and lost quarterback derbies before, along with leading Baylor to the Big 12 championship in 2021.
"Oh man, life is full of adversity. I have had a lot of adversity in my life, whether it comes to football, or life. I think football and things you go through is going to help you in the future," he said. "… I just feel like it is best to find happiness in the small moments and those things that you enjoy doing. So for me, I just think it is going to be (preparation) for whatever is coming in the future."
BYU coach Kalani Sitake said Bohanon could not have handled the news any better.
"It was back and forth," Sitake said of the derby that lasted from the opening practice of spring ball in late February until mid-August. "We feel really good about both of them. When we put it out there, Jake won the spot, and the special thing about it is Gerry was so supportive. He is a special human being. He is awesome, and they have a great relationship."
Retzlaff, now 1-4 as a starting QB at BYU , will get the nod again Friday night when the Cougars (1-0) face SMU (2-0) in Dallas, but coaches aren't ruling out the possibility that Bohanon could play a significant role. That possibility is going to exist all season , because behind Bohanon there are two more capable QBs with college football playing experience, McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet.
"We know what we got. We know the talent we have on our team. There is always the threat of (Bohanon) being on the field," Sitake said in his weekly press briefing Monday when he was asked about Bohanon's role moving forward.
Bohanon got in Saturday's game with 5:47 remaining and ran the Cougars' final eight plays from scrimmage, handoffs to Miles Davis and Enoch Nawahine and two kneel-downs in victory formation. He had a 1-yard carry, but didn't attempt a pass.
Did he want to try at least one throw?
"No, we just let (offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick) do his thing," Bohanon said. "It is (his) call. He runs the show. We just go out there and execute what he wants us to do."
Roderick explained how Retzlaff won the job on his "Coordinators' Corner" program Monday.
"Oh man, life is full of adversity. I have had a lot of adversity in my life, whether it comes to football, or life. I think football and things you go through is going to help you in the future. I just feel like it is best to find happiness in the small moments and those things that you enjoy doing."
"We just felt like he earned it in practice. We have had this same type of competition before, multiple times. Usually if you put in enough reps in practice, it becomes apparent to everybody who has won the job," he said. "… It took awhile, though, because Gerry is a good player. Both of them were having good days, and I think they both made each other better. And then eventually it hit a point where everybody felt like, OK, Jake has earned this, and I thought he went out and played really well."
Retlzaff was 20 of 30 for a career-high 348 yards and three touchdowns as BYU snapped a five-game losing skid dating back to last season.
"I thought Jake played really well. He was accurate. He was on time. And you could just see the confidence and the swagger that he played with. So I thought that was really good to see," Bohanon said. "It was good to see Chase (Roberts) get in a groove. It was just good to see those guys smiling and doing the thing they love."
As Sitake and Roderick have mentioned countless times throughout the process , rarely do teams go through a college football season using just one quarterback. Not since 2020, when Zach Wilson vaulted himself into being the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has BYU not used multiple QBs for significant playing time.
Bohanon said the competition has made him better, and he will be ready if called upon.
"I am understanding what we are trying to accomplish with each play, placing the ball accurately," Bohanon said. "Putting it exactly where I want it and away from defenders, kinda just being me, being able to run the ball and make plays with my legs if I have to. When there is a bad play, making a play better. Those are some of the things I have improved on."
Retzlaff said Saturday night that the team has known he would be the starter since at least Aug. 22, and called his relationship with Bohanon "100% seamless" and as healthy as ever.
"That's just a testament to Gerry, his character, his maturity level. He is just an incredible guy, on and off the field. I got so much respect for him, in all aspects of life. He is such an incredible teammate, an incredible father, an incredible leader.
"And our relationship has not changed very much at all. We are as supportive of each other as we were all of fall camp, and in the summer, the spring, all that. … It has been super seamless, to say the least."
Brigham Young University quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) looks to pass against Southern Illinois University during BYU's home opener held at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
