never did say.
I never said Hill wasn't in football shape in 2012. I never said he had "missionary legs". Those are your words.
He played well against Hawaii, a team that won 3 games that year. He helped us get the one TD we needed to beat USU 6-3 in what was a BYU defensive masterpiece.
But he hadn't played in 3 years. He was less familiar with the speed of the game, the offense (this was Doman's offense), teammates, routines, etc. He hadn't thrown a pass in 3 years and had never played a down of college football.
He had an "immediate huge impact", you say? His PER was worse than Nelson's. Check it out. What was great about seeing Hill play in 2012 was the obvious POTENTIAL he had, one that was being fulfilled this year until his injury.
I think there is a case to be made for Hill playing more in 2012, but to say he should have been the clear starter that year is a stark case of historical revisionism or amnesia.