Carson QB Walsh Says He Will Attend BYU

Carson High quarterback John Walsh made an oral commitment to attend Brigham Young University Thursday night and is expected to sign a national letter of intent with the Cougars Feb. 6.

Walsh, a 6-foot-4 senior, set state single-season passing records with 4,226 yards and 48 touchdowns last fall and helped Carson to a 37-16 victory over Banning in the City 4-A Division championship game. He was named The Times’ Glenn Davis Award winner as Southern California’s best high school football player last season.

Walsh, who transferred to Carson last spring from West Torrance High, had narrowed his list of colleges to Miami (Fla.), Florida State, Washington, USC and BYU.

“(BYU Coach LaVell Edwards) told me that I would be their only quarterback coming in as a freshman,” said Walsh, who passed for a season-high 470 yards in a game last fall. “At USC, they are bringing in three or four guys and that was a factor along with the fact that (Heisman Trophy winner Ty) Detmer will be a senior next season and that (BYU) runs a similar offense to the one we ran at Carson.

“I felt that there was not a better passing program in the nation than BYU and that it’s the best school for quarterbacks. Just look at who went there. . . you have Jim McMahon, Robbie Bosco, Marc Wilson and Detmer.”

Walsh, who finished 180 yards shy of the national single-season passing record, said that BYU’s Mormon background was not a concern.

“I’m not a very religious person,” said Walsh, who is not Mormon. “They do not put pressure on you to be Mormon. It really didn’t mean much to me because I’m going there to play football.”

Walsh, who broke 26 school records and passed for more than 300 yards seven times last season, said there was no reason why he made his decision early.

“I probably had the best group of receivers in the world last season (at Carson),” Walsh said. “I’m going to miss them, but at BYU they have good receivers too and they are always open. They like to throw the ball and that’s what I like.”