Jaren Hall is getting back in the game — just not in the way he thought he would. The former Maple Mountain High, BYU and Minnesota Vikings quarterback will make his television debut as a football analyst on “BYU Sports Nation GameDay” (4 p.m. MDT, BYUtv) ahead of the Cougars’ season opener against Utah Tech (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN+).
“Just being a part of the atmosphere again — being involved. We love BYU football. It’s just so ingrained in our lives and in our community,” Hall told the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “Obviously, for me and my wife, (being) part of this family playing here, it’s just a huge part of our lives and it will be for our kids so I’m glad to be a part of it again.”
Hall joins an arsenal of analysts that includes former Cougars Blaine Fowler, David Nixon, Harvey Langi and Brian Logan as part of BYUtv’s two-hour pregame coverage before every game. As with his new teammates, before Hall could move on to television, he had to first let go of his dream of playing forever in the NFL.
“It’s a great compensation when you make it,” he said. “You take care of your family. I am very blessed to have had two years to do it.”
Tough road
Hall was selected by the Vikings in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He started two games in his first two injury-riddled seasons and was released on Aug. 29, 2024. Hall then joined the Seahawks practice squad and was elevated to the active roster in December. Seattle released him on April 29, 2025. Hall announced his retirement from the game on May 14 of this year.
“I’ve learned to be proud of what I did. I’ve accepted it,” Hall said. “The competitor in me, going through those first two years, especially after I got cut, it was a lot of love from family and friends saying, ‘Dude, just remember where you are and what you have done.’
“I was like, ‘The heck with that! I’m a competitor! I want to go play! I had a taste of it. I started a few games; I want to get back there. I feel like I can make it happen.’ And now, when I have no chance to go back and it’s over, I look back and say, ‘I am proud of what I did.’ It was really hard but it’s a good accomplishment.”
Hall will become an official member of the media when “BYUSN GameDay” hits the air on Saturday. Instead of being the quarterback on the field, he will talk about one from the broadcast set: BYU sophomore Bear Bachmeier.
“He’s a phenomenal decision maker. That’s something I love to see in quarterbacks, (is) guys who make the best decision every play for the team. Guys who take care of the ball; guys who get their playmakers involved,” Hall said.
“For (Bear) to take that (BYU offense) on in two months and to own it as a true freshman, not even considering all the outside influences of being in a big stadium, playing with thousands of people around, just the fact that he was able to take that offense and distribute the ball so well is incredible. I’m still blown away.”
Playing next to Bachmeier is running back LJ Martin, who has a chance to become BYU’s all-time leading rusher by the end of the season. When Hall was winning games at BYU, he was handing the ball off to Tyler Allgeier.
“(LJ’s) almost as important as Bear is. The more you can dish the ball off to your running back, I think what Tyler did for me in the run game — it keeps you healthy; your longevity is up; it allows you to be in good down-and-distances on second and third downs,” Hall said. “A good running back is so crucial to a successful season. Keeping him upright, keeping LJ healthy and feeding him behind that offensive line is going to be huge.”
The play
Hall and Allgeier will be remembered in Cougar lore for several things. On their watch, Hall not only became the first African-American quarterback to start at BYU, but he also snapped the nine-game losing streak to No. 18 Utah; he beat No. 9 Baylor in double-overtime; and his Cougars rocked USC in Los Angeles.
Allgeier set the BYU single-season rushing record with 1,606 yards in 2021. Along the way, he ran for 218 yards and three touchdowns at Utah State; 191 yards and two touchdowns at Washington State; 266 yards and five touchdowns against Virginia; 193 yards and three touchdowns against UAB; and, running as a battering ram, Allgeier broke Utah’s spirit with 102 yards.
Ironically, the play that topped them all for these two offensive stars was on defense against Arizona State — although it didn’t start off that way.
Leading 21-17 late in the third quarter and with BYU driving at the Sun Devils 26, Hall dropped back to pass. Arizona State brought pressure and as the junior quarterback attempted to throw the ball away, there was a tug of his jersey and his pass sailed off-line and toward Sun Devils linebacker Merlin Robertson.
“I’m falling down and I see it go right into his hands,” said Hall. “I’m like, ‘What am I doing? I can’t believe I just did that!”
Robertson caught the ball and took off.
“He’s gonna go score,” thought Hall, but the play was far from over. “Aaron Roderick is huge on ‘If you throw an interception, go chase the guy down and tackle him.’ That’s the bottom line, practice or game. So, I did the best I could. I didn’t get up fast enough. Ty beat me to it.”
Sixty yards down field, with Robertson already thinking about his touchdown celebration, Allgeier caught up to him and as part of his tackle, he punched the ball out of Robertson’s grasp — and Hall was there to recover it.
“Get back on that dang ball! Get the ball!” Hall thought. “Hop on it!”
BYU reclaimed possession of the football at the 15-yard line and held on to win the game 27-17. History will celebrate Allgeier making the play, but it must include Hall’s long run down field to jump on the ball to complete it.
Now, as a BYUtv analyst with an open mic, a humble Hall can make sure it’s remembered that way as he watches the Cougars’ current one-two punch, Bachmeier and Martin, seek to create their own memories — starting Saturday.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.