As BYU opens fall camp, big questions remain

This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter . Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week.

Kalani Sitake, armed with a reinvented coaching staff, a different set of conditioning and strength coaches, a bevy of new recruits and players with a chip on their collective shoulders, opens fall practice on Wednesday.

There are a myriad of priorities for Sitake and his staff. They’ve got to be far better on offense and defense. They must field more talent and depth. They’ve got to find more answers as they face the top seven teams in the Big 12, an even tougher schedule than a year ago that yielded just five wins.

I tried to address one of the challenges in this piece about Jay Hill’s priority in stopping the run much more effectively in 2024. Dave McCann emphasizes the importance of Sitake keeping players healthy in this column.

Cougar Insider predictions

Question of the week: As BYU opens fall football camp, what are your three top storylines to follow in the coming days, besides the obvious QB situation getting solidified?

Jay Drew: Believe it or not, there are more pressing issues for the BYU football coaching staff this week than just the starting quarterback derby.

In my opinion, the No. 2 storyline is staying healthy — or getting healthy, in some cases. Rumors persist that a couple of guys won’t be able to answer the bell right out of the chute — guys such as RB LJ Martin and LB Ben Bywater. That’s not good. The Cougars were slowed by training camp injuries last year — Micah Harper and Hinckley Ropati, for instance — and simply can’t afford any setbacks this year. They just aren’t deep enough yet.

Another overlooked storyline is the improvement of the pass rushing game. BYU was dead last in sacks last season. There should be no excuses this year, with six returning seniors available to play along the defensive line.

Want more? New tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride inherits a talented group, but one without experience. Can Keanu Hill make the adjustment from receiver to tight end? Can Ryner Swanson make an instant impact a year after graduating from high school? And what can Jackson Bowers do? Those are all interesting stories to follow in training camp this month.

Dick Harmon: Kalani Sitake fired Darrell Funk and hired TJ Woods to coach an offensive line that was less than stellar last year. It is a premium goal for Woods to transform this offensive line into a productive, physical and effective unit. There is so much at stake in this O-line that if it doesn’t get fixed, the Cougars will struggle mightily this season.

I’m anxious to see how Aaron Roderick uses his tight ends this season. Ryner Swanson is inexperienced but a potential superstar. Roderick needs his tight ends to become a major part of his offense, just like they’ve been storylines in every successful season the past 40 years. This position can make QBs look great, and I like that Keanu Hill is a part of it.

Jay Hill has to find a pocket destroyer in the middle of his defensive line. I’m not sure he has it, but he really needs it, in one combination or another, in order to pressure QBs and stop the run. I’ll be looking at how he addresses this after he lost Hutchinson JC nose guard Danny Saili after the winter semester to Arkansas. I look forward to seeing how Sani Tuala and Ephraim Asiata do in camp.

Linebacker Jack Kelly is supposed to be a special addition for Hill. It will be fun to see how he uses Kelly in multiple spots, from edge rusher to strong and weak safety and pass coverage when he drops off the line. He could be a difference-maker.

Cougar tales

There is little question BYU’s players feel dissed by prognosticators who pick them to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 this year, but there are few facts from a year ago to make media folks and coaches pick them any higher. This is motivation for the Cougars, as explained in this story by Jay Drew.

In basketball, men’s coach Kevin Young added another staff member from the NBA in former Phoenix Suns assistant Akash Sebastian. Read of this hire here.

A three-star running back in California has committed to BYU after an offer proffered last December. Read details in this report.

From the archives

From the X-verse

Extra points

• BYU has solid presence at Olympics in Paris ( Deseret News )
• Hoop assistant says Demin ‘special’ ( KSL Sports )
• BYU makes cut for top 200 recruit ( KSL Sports )

Fanalysts

Comments from Deseret News readers:

I’d love to see BYU surprise, but this schedule is as tough as they may have ever had!

— Get_Real

The Big12 has a lot of parity. I think we’ll see some teams surprising the conference this year. Not so sure BYU will be one of them, though. Too many unknowns at this point. I’m hoping for better coaching this year, though.

— JapanCougar

Cougs just need to make progress. Six wins and a bowl game is progress. That’s a realistic goal for BYU football. The goals can increase from there for the future.

— Cougs4life

Up next

• Aug. 7 | 7 p.m. | Women’s soccer | Utah Valley | @ Orem
• Aug. 9 | 7 p.m. | Women’s soccer | Wyoming | @ Provo
• Aug. 15 | 7 p.m. | Women’s soccer | Wisconsin | @ Provo
• Aug. 22 | 6 p.m. | Women’s soccer | Saint Louis University | @ St. Louis