Who is Jaren Hall? Meet Vikings' new starting QB with Nick Mullens benched

The Minnesota Vikings improved their season record to 4-4 in Week 8 with a comprehensive 24-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was taken off the field after apparently suffering from a torn Achilles late in the game.

This could indicate that Jaren Hall, a rookie quarterback, will take over as the team's primary signal-caller. Hall entered the NFL Draft in 2023 and the Vikings selected him with the 164th overall choice in the fifth round.

UPDATE: Hall has been named the Week 17 starter with incumbent QB Nick Mullens benched.

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Jaren Hall made his NFL debut in Week 8

After coming off the bench, Hall performed valiantly in the final moments to maintain the Vikings' lead. Fans of The Vikes may want to familiarize themselves with Hall as he is anticipated to play in more games, especially since Cousins may be out for an extended period of time.

Jaren Hall was born and raised in Utah. In the early 1990s, his mother Hollie Hamilton was a gymnast for the Brigham Young University program, and his father Kalin was a running back. Following in his parents' footsteps, Hall attended BYU.

Before replacing New York Jets' Zach Wilson as the starting quarterback in 2021, he spent his first two years of collegiate football as Wilson's backup. In 2019 and 2020, Hall also participated in baseball games for his school.

The player made 189 of his 296 throws for 2,583 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions for BYU in his debut season as a starter in 2021. He started for two years and won sixteen games while throwing for 6,174 yards and 52 touchdowns at BYU during his collegiate career.

He is the lone quarterback still available for his team after Cousin's injury. Before Tuesday's trade deadline, Minnesota might try to sign another quarterback, but since there wouldn't be many good quarterbacks available, the former Cougar should have an opportunity to take the starting position.

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How did Jaren Hall perform at the NFL Combine?

At the NFL combine in March, Jaren Hall did not participate in any shuttle workouts or the 40-yard sprint. However, the QB for the Minnesota Vikings did show his throwing abilities and took his measurements alongside the other quarterbacks in the class.

The quarterback was the third-shortest quarterback at the combine, standing at 6-foot, 207 pounds. His arm length of 29.75 inches and hand size of 9.5 inches tied him for the smallest among quarterbacks at the combine.

In his post-game presser following his Week 8 cameo, Hall, who played his first minutes in the NFL against the Green Bay Packers, came across as articulate. When responding to questions, he demonstrated composure and didn't seem overawed or uneasy, adding that he is "very prepared," in response to a question about his level of readiness to succeed Kirk Cousins and giving the coaching staff kudos for assisting him in his preparation for the NFL.

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Jaren Hall gets candid on first NFL start

As per Deseret News, Hall said this ahead of his first start in the NFL:

“You’ve got to have the mindset you can run it all. I don’t think we’ll hold anything back. But again, it’s just a matter of if I can be dialed in on my preparation and take advantage of every minute.”

It will be interesting to see how he fares on Sunday as Joshua Dobbs is waiting to get his opportunity for the Vikings.

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