Joe Critchlow has gone from missionary to fifth-stringer to BYU’s starting quarterback in four months

Provo • When BYU announced last February that it had signed a quarterback from Tennessee who was still on an LDS Church mission in Montreal, Canada, it barely caused a ripple amidst the sea of news on Signing Day.

Nine months later, recently returned missionary Joe Critchlow has managed to make major waves, thanks to a rash of season-ending injuries that sidelined starter Tanner Mangum and backup Beau Hoge. Critchlow became the fifth true freshman to ever start a game at quarterback for BYU last week, and led the Cougars to a 31-21 win over UNLV.

“For a guy who has no experience, especially starting, I was really impressed with his ability to run the team,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said.

Mangum, Taysom Hill, Jake Heaps and Drew Miller are the other four BYU quarterbacks who started as true freshmen, but all four came with much more hype than Critchlow, despite a record-setting prep career at Franklin High in Franklin, Tenn., a half-hour drive from Nashville.

Schools in the South, including several SEC powers, backed off when Critchlow said he was going on a mission, but then-SUU head coach Ed Lamb, now a BYU associate head coach, met the high schooler while working a BYU camp and eventually offered the 6-foot-4 redhead a scholarship in Cedar City.

Critchlow had become familiar with SUU because former Thunderbird quarterback Brad Sorensen — who started his quarterbacking career at BYU, ironically — stayed at the Critchlow’s home for a short stint while he was a member of the Tennessee Titans.

“Brad Sorensen is a really great friend,” Critchlow said Wednesday. “He has really been a great influence on me. We had a similar path coming out of high school, both had a roundabout way of getting into college football.”

When Lamb joined Sitake’s staff in December of 2015, the Critchlows reached out to see if BYU would be interested in their son when he returned from his mission. Lamb advised them to contact SUU first and ask for a release. That was granted, and Joe Critchlow was a late addition to BYU’s list of recruits last February.

Critchlow said he was a BYU fan growing up, and even had a BYU flag signed by Ty Detmer hanging in his bedroom. Now Detmer is Critchlow’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and the quarterback he described as “pretty bubbly” and “upbeat and confident” will make his second career start on Saturday when BYU hosts UMass at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

It has been an amazing ascension, considering Critchlow has only been home from his mission for five months. He acknowledged Wednesday that he’s just as surprised as everybody else. When training camp started, Critchlow was fifth on the depth chart, behind Mangum, Hoge, Koy Detmer Jr. and Austin Kafentzis, who was turned into a slot receiver and is now a running back.

“I had the mentality coming in to work as hard as I could, to get as high on the depth chart as I possibly could, to compete with all the quarterbacks and help the team in any way I could,” Critchlow said. “I wasn’t expecting to start, obviously, this first year, so having the opportunity [is gratifying]. it has been unfortunate that we have had injuries at the quarterback position. But I felt like it was my time to show what I have, and I felt like I did a pretty good job.”

Another freshman returned missionary quarterback, Kody Wilstead, returned home last January and had the advantage of going through spring ball. But Detmer felt Wilstead “needed a little more time physically, to put some weight on, maybe mature a little bit,” and wanted the Pine View High product to redshirt.

Also, when training camp opened in late July, Critchlow was more prepared mentally than Wilstead, having studied the playbook intensively in the six weeks he had been in Provo.

“We felt like Joe had a really good understanding [of the offense],” Detmer said.

Wilstead said Wednesday that he has never wanted to redshirt, due to the fact that he turns 21 this week. He would eventually like to play in the NFL, he said, and doesn’t “want to be getting in there too late.” He noted he is only a year younger than Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson, but still hasn’t taken a college snap.

“It doesn’t matter if I play just one game,” Wilstead said. “It is going to help me get recognized so when I go into spring ball next year I can get a real shot at starting.”

Indeed, the Cougars will have a real glut at quarterback next year, assuming Mangum makes it back from a season-ending Achilles injury, Hoge returns from a toe injury and history of concussions and Critchlow continues to play well. Jaren Hall returns from a mission and San Antonio prep star Zadock Dinkelmann, Detmer’s nephew, could also be in the mix.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Wilstead said.

As for Critchlow, all he cares about is putting together another solid performance after throwing for 160 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions against the Rebels.

“I don’t really have too many goals that far in advance,” he said. “Obviously, I would like to play as much as I can, but that’s obviously the coach’s decision as to who will get the nod next year.”

This year’s whirlwind rise to the top of the depth chart has provided enough drama. For now.