RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesNew York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson watches Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry warm up before a game against the Utah Jazz, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Salt Lake City.
|
Rick Bowmer, Associated Press
Editor’s note: Second in a two-part series on former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson.
When quarterback Isaac Wilson entered the transfer portal last December after two tumultuous seasons at Utah, which included him barely getting off the bench in 2025, he checked in with his older brother, who also knows a little about quarterbacking, to get some advice.
Did former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson recommend his old school, or direct Isaac on a path away from BYU for the second time in three years? In May 2023, the four-star recruit out of Corner Canyon picked Utah over BYU, partly because Zach believed he would be a better fit in Utah’s offense than BYU’s.
Last January, Isaac Wilson signed with the Colorado Buffaloes and head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, confounding some insiders who believed he would reunite with his high school coach , Eric Kjar, at Weber State.
“My advice to him when he went into the portal was just get to a place where you can play right away,” Zach told the Deseret News last week in a lengthy interview before the six-year NFL quarterback headed off for training camp in New Orleans. BYU was “not really an option” for Isaac last December, Zach said, and left it at that.
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson watches as his brother, Corner Canyon quarterback Isaac Wilson, plays in a 6A football semifinal against Farmington at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022.
|
Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Obviously, BYU has a set starter when training camp begins next week in Provo — sophomore Bear Bachmeier — and another four-star QB, Ryder Lyons, will join the program next year when he returns from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“That is the hardest part about college ball is it is musical chairs nowadays, with money, and NIL stuff, and all that,” Zach said. “So for him, I was like, ‘Find somewhere you feel like you can go and compete for the starting job.’ And I feel like Colorado is doing that with him. Even though they are paying someone else (redshirt freshman Julian ‘JuJu’ Lewis), who is kind of the big name coming up.”
Other quarterbacks on Colorado’s spring roster included Georgia Tech transfer Dominiq Ponder and freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne from Lehi’s Skyridge High. Sweetwyne committed to BYU in February 2025, then backed off that pledge and landed in Boulder.
“They are giving him a chance, which is really cool to see,” Zach said. “He is taking advantage of it and playing well, and he’s enjoying playing football again. I told him to just give it everything you got, and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll figure it out the next day for the next stage of life, and take it from there.”
On BYU football going 23-4 the past 2 seasons
Since he’s been in the Eastern time zone four of the past five seasons, Wilson said it is difficult to follow his former team, but he does his best. He paid really close attention in 2021 and 2022 because many of his former teammates were still on the team.
When he’s in Utah, he trains at BYU “every single day” and loves living close to the facilities.
“I love BYU football, man,” he said. “Those guys are the best. … We love all BYU sports, and try to follow them as much as we can.”
Because BYU plays in a lot of games with 8:15 p.m. MDT kickoffs, Wilson has to record those and catch them later.
“We will always go back and be a part of the place, hopefully,” he said. “I see the coaches almost every day in the summer when I am training there, and the culture in general is great. Everybody loves what Kalani and the staff is doing.”
Wilson impressed by BYU’s facility upgrades
Shortly after he was drafted by the Jets, BYU completed a massive football locker room overhaul inside the Student Athlete Building. The school also renovated and expanded its football weight room in the spring of 2025.
Back in 2023 as it was preparing to join the Big 12 , Wilson said the program was behind most Power Four schools in terms of facilities and resources.
“Honestly, that was the hardest thing for my little brother (Isaac) as to why he didn’t go to BYU,” Wilson said. “It is really hard to go into a new conference, with the recruiting, and all the pieces you need to compete, when you don’t have what everyone else has.”
Wilson said it is “amazing” to see what has happened at BYU the past few years.
“BYU did it so quickly,” he said. “My biggest worry with Isaac was that I loved BYU, and wanted him to go there (younger brothers Micah and Josh also played for BYU, but both retired due to injuries), but I knew they would be in an adjustment mode for a few years.
BYU alumnus Zach Wilson watches during the Brigham Young University alumni game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on March 31, 2023.
|
Ryan Sun, Deseret News
“But they were not,” Wilson continued. “They have done a great job, and it has been good to see how well they’ve done with the resources they have with the weight room and the facilities, and all of that. It is so much better than when I was there.”
Wilson has been back in Provo for a couple of games since he left and has also been impressed by the game day atmosphere.
“Even that has completely transitioned into an incredible experience for the fans,” he said. “They do a great job with that. They make it really fun to go to the games.”
Josh Wilson is currently in the construction business , while Micah Wilson also recently got married and has started an apparel company called Blank Slate that makes vintage baseball caps. Isaac inherited the Jeep that Zach and Josh “tricked out” when Zach was at BYU, but has since sold it.
Zach Wilson on his time with Denver Broncos
Of course, Zach Wilson knows a little about competing for a starting job in Colorado, having spent the 2024 N...
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.