Taysom Hill named starting QB at BYU

Taysom Hill will once again begin the season as BYU’s starting quarterback.

It’s the fourth time the senior has opened the season as BYU’s starting quarterback. Hill only played in the first game of the season for BYU in 2015 due to a Lisfranc injury he suffered against Nebraska. He elected to redshirt in 2015 and return for a fifth season in 2016 after his 2014 season was also cut short by injury.

Hill, who celebrates his 26th birthday Tuesday, suffered a nasty broken leg and torn ankle ligaments against Utah State in 2014.

He was named the starting quarterback over Tanner Mangum, who had a successful freshman season in place of Hill. Mangum was part of one of the most iconic plays of the season vs. Nebraska after replacing Hill. He found wide receiver Mitch Mathews in the end zone on a Hail Mary with no time left for a game-winning touchdown.

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Mangum, who has two seasons of eligibility left after 2016, finished the season with 3,062 yards passing while completing just over 62 percent of his passes with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. And while it’s easy to see how Mangum had a very strong case for the starting job, it’s not surprising to see BYU coach Kalani Sitake opt for the established quarterback who returned for a final season.

In his last full season as a starter (in 2013 as a sophomore), Hill had 2,938 yards passing and completed 54 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 1,344 yards on 246 attempts and accounted for 29 total touchdowns.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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