After rising up NFL draft boards throughout the fall, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson seemed to only help himself a little more on Friday at his pro day. As the Jets weigh whether to select the gunslinger with the No. 2 pick and move on from former No. 3 pick Sam Darnold, here are six things you might not know about Wilson:
1. If Wilson does end up in New York, his family shouldn’t have a problem getting from Utah to MetLife Stadium. His uncle, David Neeleman, is the founder of JetBlue, among other airlines.
2. Wilson was originally committed to Boise State, but ultimately flipped to BYU because he wanted to play closer to home. The Cougars play roughly 30 miles from where Wilson grew up, in Draper, Utah, and Wilson is part of a big family — his grandparents have seven children, 36 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren, according to the Deseret News.
3. Wilson is of Hawaiian ancestry and his middle name is Kapono — which means “righteous.”
4. Before his breakout junior year, Wilson made 10-hour drives to southern California to work with his quarterback tutor, John Beck, according to NBC Sports’ Peter King. When COVID-19 canceled BYU’s spring workouts, Wilson stayed in California for a stretch and worked for DoorDash on Saturday nights to help pay for gas and expenses, King reported.
5. Wilson may be BYU’s biggest star since … Jimmer Fredette? And the former college basketball sensation has some admiration for Wilson. “When I grow up I want to be [Wilson],” Fredette tweeted in November, after Wilson led No. 9 BYU to a 51-17 win over No. 21 Boise State.
6. How’s this for hand-eye coordination? Wilson recently took up juggling “and he mastered it,” Wilson’s brother, Josh, told the Deseret News.