The pass sailed out of the back of the end zone, and pandemonium ensued in Provo, Utah.

As students flooded the field in response to BYU upsetting Baylor in double overtime, quarterback Jaren Hall wasn’t ready to join in the celebration.

Not yet. Not until he hugged kicker Jake Oldroyd. The heartwarming moment on the sidelines lasted about 20 seconds, with Hall embracing an emotional Oldroyd, who had missed a pair of field goals that would have won the game in regulation.

“He could’ve been celebrating with everybody else and he’s over there making sure his teammate is OK,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said of Hall. “That’s who he is. He’s such a good leader. It comes naturally to him.”

That’s exactly what the Vikings need right now as they navigate uncharted waters without franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins. The reality of the situation started to set in this week at TCO Performance Center as Cousins had successful surgery to repair his Achilles tendon.

That effectively made Hall the starter for the Vikings as they prepared for Sunday’s road game against the Atlanta Falcons. As much as it might seem like a tall task for a rookie quarterback, Hall has long possessed a poise that could make him the perfect person to lead the Vikings moving forward.

Just listen to him speak.

“I’m focused on being as prepared as I can for these guys,” Hall said. “It’s got to be my Super Bowl every week.”

Hall’s comments came in front of a backdrop usually reserved for Cousins in the middle of the week. As strange as it was to see someone other than Cousins standing there, Hall looked the part, carrying himself like a seasoned veteran as he calmly answered 10 minutes of questions with no hesitation.

No surprise to Los Angeles Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua, who played with Hall in college, serving as his No. 1 target at BYU.

“He’s always been so calm no matter the situation,” Nacua said. “I always used to joke with him, ‘You’ve got that Barack Obama voice.’ He’s got that vibe about him. He never seems like he’s rattled.”

That was on display last weekend when Hall made his NFL debut in relief with the Vikings playing the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. He was clear and concise in the huddle, standing in the shadow of his own goal post, and delivering each play call with precision.

“That’s what we need out of a rookie quarterback,” Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “You have to have the confidence to come into the huddle and really take control of it.”

That natural ability as a leader is something Hall had even as a teenager at Maple Mountain High School in Spanish Fork, Utah. The football team was made up of kids from multiple towns in the surrounding area, and Hall got everybody to work together in harmony on the field.

As the star quarterback, Hall finished with 5,109 yards and 52 touchdowns at Maple Mountain, committing to BYU, which was located about 20 minutes up the road. He remained humble throughout his rise up the ranks.

“The best part about Jaren was how genuine of a person he was,” Maple Mountain head coach Brad Burtenshaw said. “He didn’t have a big ego. He didn’t own the school as the star quarterback or anything like that. He befriended everybody and was extremely down to earth.”

That humbleness followed Hall to college and helped him as he had to sit behind eventual No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson for a couple of years. Not once did Hall think about entering the transfer portal. He wanted to finish what he started at BYU, and after staying patient behind the scenes, Hall finally stepped into the spotlight for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

He dazzled on the field as soon as he took over as the starter, proving himself capable of dropping dimes from the pocket, and buying time with his legs if a play broke down. He also dazzled off the field, putting others before himself at every turn, like that heartwarming moment after BYU upset Baylor.

“That’s the dad vibes in him,” Nacua said. “He’s always aware of everybody else.”

That could go a long way for Hall on Sunday as he makes the first start of his NFL career. He’s going to need to connect with his teammates if the Vikings are going to have success against the Atlanta Falcons. He’s also going to need to be dialed in himself.

It should help that Hall has made it a habit to stay late after virtually practice, getting extra work in with quarterbacks coach Chris O’Hara and assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski.

“You always want to get better,” Hall said. “I feel like I’ve always been one that strives to do a little bit more and make sure I’m as sharp as possible.”

That doesn’t mean it’s going to come easy for Hall this weekend. His trainer John Beck played in the NFL more a decade ago and noted there might be some growing pains throughout the game itself. As confident as he is that Hall can make every throw in a vacuum, Beck knows firsthand that things are much different in the heat of battle.

“If they ask him to drop back 26 times, he’s not going to go out there and read all 26 coverages perfectly,” Beck said. “It’s not going to happen in a guy’s first start. To have a guy that can go out and create something with his legs if he has to is important. He’s always going to find a way to make plays.”

It’s pretty clear that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has confidence in Hall being able to go out there and play with a quieted mind this week.

“He’s been getting ready for this for awhile,” O’Connell said. “Just not knowing when that time would come.”

Indeed. Looking at the way Hall has carried himself throughout his life, he might be made for a moment like this.

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