FEASTbox, BYU, and Noah Lugo

FEASTbox, folks. They're doing something super cool for BYU, and it's something I'm super excited about. You should be excited too. It's exciting.

But let's get some particulars out of the way first: Am I being paid by FEASTbox to say nice things about them? Yeah. Of course I'm being paid. I'm pre-rich, man. I'm not above being bought. If FEASTbox wanted to pay to wrap my house in a giant "WE SELL KOREAN BEEF BULGOGI" banner, I'd happily cash that check too. So yeah, I'm being paid.

While I don't think that a little financial transaction should dissuade you from thinking I'm telling you the truth, let me tell you a tale about my father - who is not being paid.

Upon meeting with FEASTbox for the first time, I called my dad to tell him about the deal, and really, to have him talk me out of getting my Gen-Z on, quitting my job, and going all-in on tinfoil and TikTok. I told about him about FEASTbox and what our partnership was going to look like. He said, and I quote:

"Wait.. is FEASTbox that thing that's new on DoorDash and just sends boxes of meat?"

I told him that it was and we started talking a little bit about it. His follow up was this:

"Your mom ordered some of that the other night and I thought it was delicious. So the next night I ordered it again and got something new - the Hawaiian BBQ after Korean the first time - and it was delicious. Then I remembered that I was supposed to take food over to (a man in the neighborhood who just had surgery) and I had forgotten about it, so I ordered him a little bit of everything. He called me the next day and asked where it all came from because he was so impressed. THAT's who is talking to you?"

This story is not embellished. It really happened and it really happened exactly as I described. FEASTbox is really good - and that's not the paycheck talking. My dad says it's really good, and he's not getting paid a cent. (Also, I don't get my fluffy physique from my mom... it comes from my dad. And you know what they say about trusting skinny people's opinions on food. Don't do it. Trust a fat. That's me and my old man.)

On August 1, FEASTbox will officially launch some new, something awesome, and something that BYU fans should really get excited about. We'll have more details as the date draws near, but I promise it's exciting.

(No, it's not some kind of something that will guarantee wins or an influx of five-star talent... so don't over-expect and be mad. Expect something cool and you're going to get something really cool on August 1.)

Noah Lugo and the Quarterback Poistion

If you're not on the Noah Lugo train yet, you should probably find your way there soon. The current UTSA commit will visit BYU this weekend and a commitment afterwards wouldn't be terribly surprising to anyone. Now I know that Lugo isn't Maealiuaki Smith and that's who BYU fans have been putting their hopes and dreams into. But, let's talk about who Lugo is and why BYU would be thrilled if he decided to commit to the Cougars.

He has the tools to be very good. He's not a five-star, plug-and-play QB in the mold of Trevor Lawrence, but the tools are undeniably present. He is an exceptional athlete and he has the arm strength to make the throws he needs to make on the field. It's the exceptional athleticism that really sets him apart.

Unless you have a quarterback like Lawrence, it's difficult to have a quarterback without athleticism. Without an athlete behind center, you're limited in what you can do as an offense, especially in the modern era of college football. Lugo is an athlete. He would allow Aaron Roderick to have a full slate of creativity available to him if Lugo was ever his quarterback on the field.

His high school film shows a quarterback who tends to look to run after his first read, which isn't ideal. But, when a quarterback transitions from the high school to college level, they are going to have to break apart the way they read a defense anyways. That's an area where Aaron Roderick and the BYU coaching staff shines.

BYU's quarterback development isn't just about Roderick either. The Cougars have a great set of analysts who help with quarterbacks. John Beck, who trains some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, is willing to help BYU out too. The cumulative effort of everyone around BYU is reason to feel confident in what BYU can do for a quarterback with the right tools.

So, does Lugo have the tools?

Well, watch Lugo's film and watch Jaren Hall's film from his time at Maple Mountain High School. There are a ton of similarities between the two. Hall had a big arm, but he completed roughly 50% of his passes at time time. He didn't sit in the pocket and read defenses, he made a read and tucked the ball to run. That's what made him effective at Maple Mountain. Those are the same things that make Lugo good at the high school level.

Hall developed at BYU. He had the tools to be great at Maple Mountain, but he utilized those tools and became great at BYU. Roderick and his coaching staff are hoping they can do the same thing with Lugo, should be choose to commit.

As for the recruiting ranking? UTSA might be not the sexiest school in the country, but UTSA's current quarterback (Frank Harris) is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor is a quarterback wizard and knows how to develop the position really well. If Traylor sees something in Lugo, that should mean something.

I get it, and 85 and middle-of-the-road offers isn't going to blow anyone's skirt up, but I think Lugo sees his rating climb and I think he sees more offers roll in. He has the tools and the potential to be great.

At the end of the day, Aaron Roderick developed Zach Wilson and Jaren Hall both into NFL quarterbacks. He developed Baylor Romney to the point that people clamored for him to start over Hall and Wilson at various times. He even won a game with Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters at quarterback. Roderick should be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his evaluations. You can't always count on elite development, but Roderick's track record is pretty darn good.

If Lugo comes to BYU, I would feel really good about what Roderick sees in him.