Zach Wilson answers questions from BYUtv studio host Dave McCann on media day. (Addie Blacker)
Zach Wilson expects to be fully recovered and ready to play in BYU’s home opener against Utah on Aug. 29 after he underwent surgery, which successfully repaired the labrum in his right shoulder, he explained on media day. Wilson first sustained the injury while playing in high school, but said he felt the effects of the injury worsen during his freshman season as a Cougar.
While playing at BYU, Wilson said he there wasn't an exact moment where he felt the injury had gotten worse, but that the injury would make itself most known at Monday practices following games. Wilson said he doesn't think it was him throwing a football that made the injury worse but rather landing on the injured shoulder.
'It always felt great in games,' Wilson said. 'The problem was coming into practice the next Monday. I just felt terrible. I don't know if it was getting landed on — I don't think it was from throwing because in a game you don't throw nearly as much as you do in practice. So I would go into Mondays and I could barely lift my arm up because I was getting driven down on my right shoulder, and guys were landing on me.'
BYU football players report to camp on July 29 and start practice on July 30. Wilson says he feels like he will be 100% by then and his recovery is going faster during this portion of his rehabilitation. Within just the last two weeks, Wilson said he has gone from feeling 15% recovered to 80% recovered, while also throwing footballs since June 1.
Sophomore quarterback Zach Wilson responds to questions about his offseason shoulder surgery. (Addie Blacker)
The sophomore said he has been working on his throwing mechanics and expects them to be the same as they were prior to his shoulder injury.
'I'm trying to make it the exact same,' Wilson said. 'The good thing is, I have full mobility; I have all my mechanics back. It's just the speed part of it — getting comfortable with it. The arm isn't used to moving like that so it's just slowly progressing.'
Wilson, in his interview with BYU Sports Nation, added that he also has a torn labrum in his left shoulder that will eventually require surgery. He said he has been limited in his workouts, including not being able to bench press, but does a lot of workouts with dumbbells and resistance bands, typical to the routine of a healthy quarterback. The torn labrum does not affect his quarterback abilities, he said, adding that he is able to play through it since he does not throw with his left arm.