Zach Wilson doesn’t bother me one bit for a few reasons beginning with the system mismatch and ending with him landing a spot in the NFL.
I want to start by saying this: just because someone is a starter at a “better program” doesn’t mean they can transfer to an “inferior program” and automatically assume a starting role let alone thrive there! This was the case with BOTH BENTLEY AND BREWER! Simply put, Utah’s offensive system was a mismatch for them both and it lead to Bentley transferring (again), and Brewer being benched and then in the transfer portal. Both of those guys lit it up at their schools before Utah and Bentley is doing well now at South Alabama… It wouldn’t surprise me to see Brewer transfer somewhere else and do very well.
I would argue that in a similar way, Zach Wilson wouldn’t have fit with Utah’s offensive system… Definitely not Ludwig’s system at least. Possibly there would’ve been a better fit with Troy Taylor but it’s a moot point because there’s no way he starts in 2018 over Huntley and he would be competing with Shelley for a backup spot. When 2019 rolled around, BYU started off 2-4 with both wins in overtime and the only reason Zach Wilson wasn’t benched was because he threw an interception against Toledo and broke a finger, which made him effectively remove HIMSELF from play for a few weeks. In 2019 BYU only secured Bowl eligibility with a win over Idaho State and blew the bowl game due to clock management and mental errors on Wilson’s part.
Any person living in reality would has to agree with the following statement: Zach Wilson wasn’t on anyone’s radar until the 2020 Covid season and BENEFITTED FROM THE COVID SEASON MORE THAN ANY OTHER PLAYER IN THIS YEAR’S DRAFT. Playing a complete (albeit poor) 2020 schedule with empty stadiums with minimal crowd noise and against opponents who had NEVER planned for him worked in his favor. This padded his numbers and showcased his ability to throw the ball while masking the worst part of his game: the mental mistakes he makes against better defenses. Truly, the stars aligned to get Zach Wilson to where he is today and I can’t conceive another explanation for it. There’s simply no way Zach Wilson could put up the numbers he did against the original 2020 schedule he was going to play… and the same could be said of him at Utah, assuming he wins the starting job.
It’s wonderful for him that he landed high in the draft and get a high NFL grade but his NFL career is just beginning. It hasn’t been the best start for him and in part this is due to having been thrown into the lion’s den with the Jets. If I were him, I would’ve demanded to play only small portions of the game, learn the system, and come back in year 2 ready to strike after having a season to get the hang of it.
Don’t even get me started on his mom Lisa and the attention (or should I say “distraction”?) she brings to a team.
Long story short, the Utah/Wilson debate is entirely moot and resulted in win for Wilson, a win for BYU and 2 wins for Utah 😉
Iowa State @ 
Utah 
