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BYU sophomore quarterback Baylor Romney throws a pass during the 41-10 Cougar win over Western Kentucky at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020.

BYU Photo

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BYU freshman quarterback Jacob Conover (right) and senior wide receiver Neil Pau'u talk things over during spring camp in Provo on Thursday, March 4, 2021.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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BYU junior quarterback Baylor Romney (left) and freshman quarterback Jacob Conover throw the football during spring camp in Provo on Thursday, March 4, 2021.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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BYU freshman quarterback Jacob Conover prepares to take a snap during spring camp in Provo on Thursday, March 4, 2021.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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BYU quarterback Baylor Romney runs during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

Tyler Tate

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It’s a scenario that occurs in every college football locker room: An athlete works his heart out fighting to get the starting job, only to come up short.

It can’t be easy on those players when the word comes down from the coaches that the spot is being given to someone else. They often face four choices:

1. Push harder and try to convince the decision-makers to change their minds.

2. Be content in a backup role and work to be ready if injuries or other factors result in opportunities.

3. Look at changing positions in order to get on the field.

4. Heed the siren call of the transfer portal and hope that joining a new team will end up with better results.

The most high-profile BYU football players facing that decision right now are Cougar sophomore quarterback Baylor Romney and freshman quarterback Jacob Conover, since BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick announced Wednesday that sophomore Jaren Hall will be the starter for the Cougars.

One of the questions Roderick was asked during the press conference where the official announcement was made was whether Romney and/or Conover were now considering transferring.

“I think they plan on being at practice tomorrow, as far as I know,” Roderick said. “Those two guys from my experience with them, they are high-character, competitive guys. They understand this game. It’s not easy to go through 12 games with one QB. It doesn’t happen very often. These guys are all young. I’m not even thinking about (transfers). If they are, I don’t know about it.”

Roderick seems to think Romney and Conover will be looking at Options No. 1 (compete) and No. 2 (be the backup) and said that the competition to be the backup quarterback is “ongoing” with both Romney and Conover in the mix.

“If the game was today, Baylor would be second,” Roderick said. “We’ll keep competing all season. That goes for the starter too. Jaren is not dumb. He knows he’s got to go play well, that there are good players behind him. I expect him to do that, though. All those guys know that in this program, competition is ongoing, all the time at every position.”

It seems unlikely that either of the two quarterbacks would look at Option No. 3 (change positions) very seriously, although it’s not impossible that another QB, Sol-Jay Maiva-Peters, would use his athleticism somewhere else on the field.

And while it is often the most highly publicized, everyone knows Option No. 4 (transferring) comes with risks. Some reports indicate that less than a third of transfers end up making an impact with their new teams. With thousands of college football players changing schools, there are bound to be successes and failures.

Every year, BYU has had players both leave the program (Devin Kaufusi, for example) as well as transfer in (Puka and Samson Nacua).

Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake said in March of 2020 that he will always try to look out for what is best for each athlete and that might not always be in Provo.

“The portal is there for a reason and it’s always going to be full,” Sitake said. “There are a variety of reasons why someone would enter the portal but I think from where we are at it’s a positive thing for me to speak to them, help them out and support them. The most important thing for them is they want to play football and I’m excited to help anyone out. Everyone who has left here and gone in the portal, it’s always been a positive conversation with me.”

NFL rosters trimmed

A couple of former Cougars who have been playing offensive line were waived earlier this week when NFL teams had to trim their rosters down to 80 players.

Corbin Kaufusi was waived by the San Francisco 49ers while Tristen Hoge was waived by the New York Jets.

They are the latest BYU alumni to be cut loose, joining wide receivers Micah Simon (Carolina Panthers) and Aleva Hifo (Arizona Cardinals), as well as defensive back Dayan Lake (injury settlement with the Los Angeles Rams).

Former Timpview stars Dax Raymond (Pittsburgh Steeler) and Pita Taumoepenu (Denver Broncos) were also waived, while former Westlake star John Ursua was placed on injured reserve by the Seattle Seahawks.

Conference interest in BYU

Berry Tramel, a long-time sport reporters and columnist from the Oklahoman, wrote a column about how BYU is the “one no-brainer” for Big 12 conference expansion.

“The Cougars have a decades-long tradition of winning football, all-around athletic success and a worldwide following, courtesy of its status as the educational Mormon mecca,” Tramel wrote.

The full article can be found at https://www.oklahoman.com/ but is behind a paywall, costing $1 for six months of access.

It’s worth noting, however, that the tables have turned somewhat. Since the Big 12 is facing serious legitimacy questions with the departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC, this time it might be BYU that will decide it isn’t worth joining the league instead of the league rejecting BYU.

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