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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall poses for a photo with Cosmo and fans after the 35-31 Cougar win over USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2021. (Courtesy BYU Photo)

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BYU sophomore quarterback Jaren Hall scores a touchdown during the 38-24 Cougar loss to Baylor in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo)

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BYU junior quarterback Jaren Hall prepares to get started on the first day of fall camp in Provo on Thursday, August 4, 2022.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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BYU junior quarterback Jaren Hall laughs at something during media day at the BYU Broadcasting Building in Provo on Wednesday, June 24, 2022.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall throws a pass during the 26-17 Cougar win over the Utes at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Marci Harris, Herald correspondent)

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BYU junior quarterback Jaren Hall has always had an even-keel, confident manner.

Those who saw him as a star at Maple Mountain High School or during his days of pushing Zach Wilson for the starting job in Provo would say that part of Hall’s persona hasn’t changed much.

As he heads into his second year as QB1 for the Cougars, Hall continues flash his million-watt smile and laud the performances of others more than his own.

“What stood out (on Day 1) was our offensive line,” Hall said Thursday after the first day of fall camp. “It’s impressive how clean the pocket it and how well we ran the ball. We don’t have pads on but they were moving dudes. It’s no secret that that is the strength of our team but they looked really good upfront.”

But don’t mistake Hall’s team-first mentality for a lack of personal drive. He is fully aware of what he wants to accomplish and is working hard to make it a reality.

He has spent plenty of time in self-examination to understand how he can improve.

“I’ve worked on fine-tuning all the throwing mechanics and getting everything dialed in,” Hall said. “I’m looking to get a lot more confident in my ability to throw the ball everywhere around the field. I’ve worked on my ability to throw the ball a little bit better and be on time.”

He said he had a lot of people to thank for that, one of whom being former BYU quarterback and well-known instructor John Beck who Hall worked with this summer.

“He helped me with synching up my mechanics properly, making sure everything is firing at the right times,” Hall said. “It’s a step-by-step process when you throw a football and him and his guys are so good at seeing that. For a little over a year now I’ve been with them in the summer and talked with them throughout the season. There is also the mental side of the game, talking through defenses and getting a better understanding of the game.”

He has the advantage of having had a lot of time to work with the other offensive veterans, which means they all can be much more specific on what they are working on instead of trying to develop chemistry.

“It’s awesome working with Jaren this entire offseason,” Cougar senior wide receiver Gunner Romney said. “Now we can hone things in and get ready for the season with the specifics we want to work on, the play concepts against specific defenses. It’s fun having that connection already so we can work on the details.”

He explained that his approach is simple and isn’t based on checklists of what he wants to accomplish.

“I just leave the sky as the limit,” Hall said. “It’s just about being my best every day.”

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said he sees Hall being more comfortable with who he is and what his role will be as the team gets rolling in fall camp.

“The focus for him is a little bit different than it was last year,” Sitake said. “I gave (offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick) the opportunity to teach him and put the standards that he had for him to accomplish this summer. He did it and now we’ll see what happens with fall camp. On Day 1, Jaren did a great job — as did the other quarterbacks when they were on the field.”

Every one in Provo knows that there is always the risk that injuries will limit Hall’s time of the field and so the other QBs have to be ready.

Sitake said the other signal-callers will get extra reps early in camp to help them be better prepared but Hall said he is confident the other quarterbacks will be ready if they are called on.

“Every guy in the room has been here,” Hall said. “All five quarterbacks we have are ready to go. We don’t have anyone new. They’ve all been through the system. Knock on wood that you only have one quarterback. That’s always the goal but any of those guys are going to be ready.”

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