BYU will try to keep starting QB vs. Southern Illinois a secret until Saturday’s kickoff

It became quite clear after various BYU coaches and football players spoke to reporters on Monday that the Cougars know which starting quarterback candidate — Jake Retzlaff or Gerry Bohanon — will line up behind center shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday night when BYU hosts Southern Illinois at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

It is also apparent that they hope to keep it a secret until either No. 12 (Retzlaff) or No. 3 (Bohanon) jogs out on the new LES playing surface — still natural grass — to lead the Cougars in their opener.

As is its custom, BYU released its first depth chart of the season just before Sitake’s news conference kicking off game week, and Bohanon, a final-year senior, and Retzlaff, a fourth-year junior, are listed as co-starters at quarterback.

“Exactly,” head coach Kalani Sitake said during his weekly press briefing Monday when he was asked if it won’t be revealed until the game starts. “That’s why it is listed as an ‘or’ (designation on the depth chart). So you can keep asking the questions (to no avail). We have a plan, guys. We know what we are doing. We have been through this before. We are going to be just fine.”

Sitake and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said the reason for the secrecy is simple: maintain a competitive advantage by keeping the Salukis guessing until kickoff.

“Well, the main thing is we want to make our opponent have to prepare for both guys. They are a very good defense. They have defeated a Division I team two years in a row. They are a very good program,” Roderick said on the “Coordinators’ Corner” program. “So it didn’t make any sense to let them know. They gotta prepare for both guys, dig up some film on Gerry. They got four games of Jake (from last year). We just wanted to keep that advantage until kickoff.”

Sitake said coaches “kinda have an idea” regarding which quarterback will start, but later Monday junior receiver Chase Roberts , a newly minted team captain with Connor Pay, Tyler Batty and Jakob Robinson, acknowledged that the receivers know.

“I mean, obviously we are just keeping it down low, up until game time. But we have been able to, I guess, kinda figure out over practices and stuff who the guy is going to be, who we can meet with to prepare for the game, who to watch film with a little bit more,” Roberts said. “So we are, obviously, we know as receivers, but we are going to keep it down low up until game time.”

Asked if they can keep it a secret the remainder of the week, Roberts replied: “Um, yeah, yeah.”

Pay, the center who will be snapping the ball to the starter, said the only thing he knows is that the team will know long before the media, or Southern Illinois, does.

“If all goes well, you guys will be the last people to know,” he said.

Midway through camp, Bohanon seemed to have the upper hand, and was making the most plays during the media viewing portions of practice; however, Retzlaff came on late, and various defenders told the Deseret News that Retzlaff played better in the second scrimmage on Aug. 17.

Roderick and Sitake have been asked throughout camp if they are opposed to rotating the quarterbacks with each series against SIU, kind of like head coach Bronco Mendenhall and OC Robert Anae did in 2010 with Jake Heaps and Riley Nelson. The current BYU coaches have said they prefer not to have a platoon system.

“We are planning to do a lot of different things. We have a lot of options. The goal is to get the win. I can’t tell you how that is going to go yet, on Monday. But right now we have an opportunity — we can win with more than just one person at quarterback. We have a number of them that we can play and get victories with,” Sitake said.

“And so that goes with all the positions. We feel really good about the depth there and the quarterback just happens to be a deep one for us as well. I was really happy with how the quarterbacks handled all of camp and I feel confident going into the season with our group of quarterbacks we have altogether, especially with the top two.”

When Roderick was asked about a platoon system Monday, he declined to give a specific answer.

“We have a good plan, but I would prefer not to talk about it right now because, again, I want to make Southern Illinois not know what is coming,” he said. “So yeah, I think we will just be in for a fun surprise Saturday night.”

More revelations from the first depth chart

No QB3 was designated on the depth chart, but it is common knowledge that Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead and Western Michigan transfer Treyson Bourguet are in the mix for that spot.

There’s no designation for a starting fullback or H-back, as has been the case in the past. There are, however, four running backs listed: freshman LJ Martin and senior Hinckley Ropati at RB1 with the ‘or’ designation, and junior Miles Davis and freshman Pokaiaua Haunga at RB3, also with the ‘or’ designation.

Keanu Hill, who was a receiver his first five years in Provo, is now the starting tight end; candidates to be the backup tight end include senior Mata’ava Ta’ase, junior Ethan Erickson and true freshman Ryner Swanson.

No fewer than eight receivers made the depth chart, all the way from Roberts and senior Darius Lassiter to freshmen Cody Hagen and Tei Nacua. Others include Keelan Marion, Kody Epps, Parker Kingston and JoJo Phillips.

On the offensive line, sophomore Sonny Makasini and Southern Utah transfer Austin Leausa , a junior, have battled for the starting right guard spot all camp. That position received the ‘or’ designation as well on Monday.

Pay, Brayden Keim, Caleb Etienne and Weylin Lapuaho are starters, again, while the backups are listed as Colorado transfer Isaiah Jatta at left tackle, sophomore Bruce Mitchell at left guard, Weber State transfer Jake Eichorn at center and Leausa at right tackle.

The most hotly contested spots on defense were at outside end, where Logan Lutui and Isaiah Bagnah are still listed as co-starters, and the cornerback opposite Robinson, one of the captains.

Weber State transfer Marque Collins and Texan Mory Bamba are still fighting for that spot, with sophomore Evan Johnson, junior Jayden Dunlap and freshman Therrian Alexander III also making the depth chart at cornerback for coach Jernaro Gilford.