Jaren Hall’s time as a BYU quarterback is over.
The fifth-year junior announced on Twitter Friday that he will be giving up his final season — one in which he could have helped lead BYU into its new era of Big 12 conference football — and the 2023 NFL draft will attend.
It ultimately comes as no great surprise to 24-year-old Hall, who served a mission in Roseville, California for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before playing at BYU, and has a family including wife Breanna and daughter Jayda .
Hall’s NFL draft stock has been a big topic of conversation over the past few months; In early December, ESPN ranked Mel Kiper Jr. Hall as the #7 pick for quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL draft class.
In October, ESPN’s Jordan Reid picked Hall as a Day 3 draft prospect, predicting he’ll be picked somewhere between the fourth and seventh rounds.
It was then announced on Thursday that he would be playing in the Senior Bowl, all but sealing the deal on his future plans.
Hall has spent the past two seasons as the Cougars’ starter — finishing his BYU career with 65% of his passes for 6,174 yards, 52 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while also rushing for 798 yards and nine touchdowns.
Hall’s best season at BYU was his last, when he threw for 3,171 yards, 31 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 348 yards and three touchdowns.
He missed the Cougars’ bowl game – a 24-23 win over SMU in the New Mexico Bowl – with an ankle injury.
Hall’s departure, combined with backup Jacob Conover’s move to Arizona State, has BYU not only looking for a new quarterback for next season, but also scouring the NCAA transfer portal for some immediate depth and experience at the position of the signal caller.
Redshirt freshman Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters, more of a dual threat specialist than a drop-back quarterback, started in bowl play in place of Hall and rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown while throwing for 47 yards as BYU did one Run-first approach used to keep the ball out of SMU’s hands.
The Cougars also have quarterbacks Cade Fennegan and Nick Billoups on the list — neither played a down for the school.
Two other quarterbacks are expected to make the 2023 roster: Springville’s Ryder Burton, the only QB signee in BYU’s 2023 recruit class, and former Corner Canyon High quarterback Cole Hagen, who is joining the program after originally joining Yale had committed.