Aaron Roderick Defends Zach Wilson
BYU coaches and players jumped to the defense of BYU quarterback Zach Wilson when an anonymous scout raised "character concerns" in a recent Walter Football article. The article claimed "[Wilson] has character concerns, rich kid who is an entitled brat - uncle owns Jet Blue -, parents are a pain, not a leader, selfish, and he's a know-it-all."
The quote sparked reactions like this one from BYU linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi:
"I wouldn’t run out onto the field to protect my QB [Zach Wilson] if I thought he was an entitled brat. Zach is a true leader, a teammate, a friend, and brother! One of the best to wear the Y and I’m grateful he was my QB!" - Isaiah Kaufusi
It also led to stories about Zach Wilson's trips to California that contradicted those claims. Here are a few examples from Jay Drew:
On Tuesday morning, BYU QB coach Aaron Roderick tweeted his thoughts on Zach Wilson, stating that Wilson felt "zero entitlement" throughout the 2020 season.
"Best quality of [Zach Wilson]: zero entitlement. Respects teammates, coaches, & opponents. Exhibits his respect for the game with a relentless work ethic. Never feels like he's arrived. Always wants to be coached. Never defensive about criticism from coaches, teammates, or fans.
[He] competed for the starting job deep into fall camp. He respected how well [Jaren Hall] and [Baylor Romney] played in his absence in 2019. Understood the importance of earning the job just like everyone else. Embraced competition as an opportunity for our TEAM to improve.
[Zach Wilson] understands all QBs have to re-earn the job every week, every day, every rep. He is always prepared. Film study beyond anything I've ever seen by a college player. I could keep going..." - Aaron Roderick
Sometimes it's easy to forget that Zach Wilson was not named the starting QB until BYU released their depth chart for the Navy game. After being named the starter, Zach Wilson went on to set multiple BYU single-season records, some of which might never be broken.
Wilson is expected to announce his decision to either enter the NFL draft or return for his senior season over the next few days. All signs point towards Wilson entering the NFL draft where he is projected as a top 10 pick. However, anything can happen and nothing is official until Wilson makes his announcement.
You probably noticed that our site looks a little different. It is currently under construction and the commenting capability is turned off. While we work on some exciting updates to improve experience, you can ask us questions through one of our social media channels:
Facebook - @BYUSportsIllustrated
Twitter - @SI_BYU and Casey Lundquist at @casey_lundquist
Instagram - @BYU_SI