BYU Football Fall Camp Mailbag: True Freshmen, Under-The-Radar Players, and More

Answering reader questions about Fall camp

BYU football kicks off 2024 Fall camp / BYU Photo

Kalani Sitake and the BYU football program kickoff the 2024 season one week from today against Southern Illinois. With Fall camp in the rearview mirror, we asked our readers for some of their top questions coming out of Fall camp. It's time for a Fall camp mailbag.

Who is an under-the-radar guy that will play a big role for this team? - Evan from Instagram

Love this question. It probably depends on your definition of "under theradar" Most BYU fans probably aren't familiar with players like Jack Kelly, Logan Lutui, and Tanner Wall who will all play big roles for this 2024 BYU defense.
On defense, I'll go with John Nelson. By nature, defensive tackle is typically a position that stays out of the spotlight. For a BYU defensive line that lacks some depth in the interior, Nelson is one of the four or five most important players on the team. Nelson suffered an injury against TCU last season and the defense suffered as a result. In the opinion of this author, Nelson is primed for a breakout season in 2024.
On offense, I'll go with Keelan Marion. Marion is part of a crowded wide receiver room that includes veterans Chase Roberts, Darius Lassiter, and Kody Epps. Marion is dangerous with the ball in his hands and he has a year under his belt in BYU's offense. He will also make an impact on special teams. I predict he will return a kickoff for a touchdown in 2024. That hasn't happened at BYU since 2014 when Adam Hine retured a kickoff for a touchdown against Virginia.
If we're going completely under the radar, there are a few guys that could play big roles if injuries occur and two of them have the same name: Sione Moa (RB), Sione Moa (LB), and Sani Tuala (DL).

Can BYU really improve from last year with the same personnel? - Kris from Instagram

This is a completely fair question, and it's the primary reason why expectations for BYU are low in 2024. The Cougars struggled down the stretch, got blown out in a few too many games, and decided the best path forward was to bring back as many of those same players as possible. On paper, skepticism is the most logical response.
Can BYU get better with the same personnel? I actually believe the number of returning starters is the exact reason why BYU can improve compared to last year and perhaps exceed expectations. A lack of continuity really hurt BYU in 2023. Having continuity on their side could be the catalyst to improvement in 2024.
BYU's starters are familiar with BYU, the offensive and defensive systems, and they are one year more experienced. Continuity has always been valuable in college sports. In the transfer portal era, however, continuity has become an even greater competitive advantage. In our inaugural edition of our podcast (shameless plug), continuity in the starting lineup was one of our top takeaways from camp.

How did true freshmen improve over the course of Fall camp? EJ from Instagram

Another takeaway from Fall camp that we talked about in the podcast, some of BYU's best players are true freshmen. For the purpose of this question, I'll talk about seven true freshmen that stood out during Fall camp.
1. Cody Hagen - Hagen is already living up to this recruiting profile. In a very crowded wide receiver room, Hagen is a candidate to contribute this year. He got better and better as camp progressed and he impressed Aaron Roderick with his knowledge of the playbook.
2. Ephraim Asiata - Kelly Poppinga has coached some of the best defensive players to EVER play at BYU: Kyle Van Noy and Fred Warner. Poppinga boldly claimed that Asiata is on an even greater level athletically than those two. Asiata is still light, so he won't contribute too much until he has added enough weight, but he will have a role in 2024. Asiata is poised to become a starter as early as next year.
3. Tommy Prassas - Tommy Prassas was in a legitimate battle to start at free safety. I think Tanner Wall will start over him, but Prassas got better and better throughout the offseason.
4. Tei Nacua - Another true freshman wide receiver. When Nacua signed with BYU, I considered him a developmental prospect. Tei showed in Fall camp that he might be more ready for college football than I expected. He is a redshirt candidate this year, but he is a Nacua after all, and he's looking more and more like a player that could turn out to be like his older brother Samson.
5. Tre Alexander & Jonathan Kabeya - I expect both true freshmen defensive backs to be in the two-deep. They are future starters for BYU. Kabeya could contribute on day one at nickel.
7. Pokaiaua Haunga - He's going to find a role somewhere in 2024. He is listed at running back, but I also like him as a receiving threat out of the backfield.

What does the the second offensive line unit look like? - Cougar Army on X

The second-string offensive line is one of the biggest question marks in my mind. There are a few players I know will be in the two-deep. Whoever loses the position battle between Sonny Makasini and Austin Leausa will be the sixth offensive lineman. Colorado transfer Isaiah Jatta will be in the two-deep at tackle, and Jake Eichorn will likely be in the two-deep as well. After those three, there are a lot of question marks.
Near the end of Fall camp, Bruce Mitchell and Kaden Chidester were the other two running with the second team.

In recent memory, has there ever been a season with less excitement surrounding it than this upcoming season? - Chris from Instagram

Excitement for the 2024 season is certainly low compared to the last three or four years. However, we aren't far removed from 2018 when BYU was coming off a 4-9 2017 campaign. There was probably less excitement for that season than there is for 2024. In that era of BYU football, not only was BYU terrible in 2017, they also didn't have a clear future in college football. Now, BYU has a home in the Big 12 and for the first time ever, they control their own destiny to the playoff. That alone creates more organic excitement overall.