Zach Wilson. #PROLOOKintheNFL
He’s just got ‘it.’ That’s what BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake had to say about quarterback Zach Wilson prior to him being picked number two overall in the 2021 NFL draft by the New York Jets. Before his rise to football superstardom, Wilson’s path to success was not always clear.
Wilson started his football career at Corner Canyon high school in Draper, Utah where he was largely overlooked. A late bloomer, Wilson held only 11 division one offers coming out of high school, a number that pales in comparison to the other quarterbacks he eventually competed with at BYU and in the draft. He was undersized throughout high school before showing next-level potential his senior season, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns and maturing physically. Being underrated as a high school recruit never deterred Wilson, but rather fueled his competitive fire.
Adversity did not stop once Wilson arrived at BYU. Wilson backed up Tanner Mangum for the first six games of the 2018 season before earning his first start, throwing for three touchdowns and running for another. Despite the hot start, Wilson struggled over his next five games before dazzling in a rout of Western Michigan in which he set a BYU record for most passes without an incompletion at 18.
Wilson again had his struggles his sophomore year while fighting through injuries and being questioned by BYU coaches and fans. Following the 2019 season in which he showed flashes of brilliance intermixed with subpar performances, Wilson bloomed at the college level just as he did in high school. Wilson had a historic 2020 season throwing for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions, and led BYU to an 11-1 season and their highest ranking since 2009. The junior was a hot commodity, skyrocketing from a fringe NFL draft prospect to the school record number two overall pick. He became known as a competitor that obsessively studies film and loves the game of football with major upside and comparisons to some of the top NFL quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson.
While Zach Wilson’s ascension from an overlooked high school quarterback to number two draft pick seems like something out of a movie, it continues to provide its bumps and bruises. Wilson’s NFL career has begun much as his high school and college careers did in an up and down rookie season. While some are already calling Wilson a bust, those who know his story and commitment to the game know to wait. Just ask Corner Canyon and BYU, buckle up and get ready for the takeoff.
#PROLOOKAthlete #PROLOOKintheNFL
