Five Questions that BYU Needs to Answer During the Final Week of Final Camp

BYU's 2024 Fall camp is coming to a close and there are still a few unanswered questions

BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates after the Cougars stopped the Texas Longhorns in the red zone in the fourth quarter at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday October 28, 2023. / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

The final week of BYU Fall camp is upon us. Over the next few days, BYU will transition from Fall camp to game prep. Over the next week, here are five questions that BYU needs to answer before the season kicks off on August 31.

1. Who is going to start at quarterback?

The most obvious question that must be answered, so we'll get it out of the way first. Who is going to start at quarterback? The battle has been competitive enough to keep BYU from naming a starter. Even if they don't name a starter publicly, a decision needs to be made such that one guy can start taking more reps with the first-team offense. Through this point in camp, Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon have been splitting first-team reps.

Quarterback isn't the only starting spot that needs to be finalized. There are still a lot of players rotating at safety. There is a starting cornerback spot that is up for grabs. The last spot along the offensive line hasn't been finalized. Now that camp is coming to a close, it's time to wrap up those position battles.

2. How long of a leash will the starting QB get?

A question the coaching staff needs to answer internally: how long of a leash will the starting quarterback get if the offense isn't performing?

Whoever wins the job should feel like its their job for the entire season. The last thing you want is a quarterback to be looking over his shoulder.

In the eyes of the coaching staff, however, they should have a contingency plan in place. The quarterback competition was too close to call after two weeks of camp, so it stands to reason that there is not a lot of separation between Jake Retzlaff or Gerry Bohanon. In that case, the coaching staff shouldn't hesitate to move on to the next guy if the original starter is not performing well.

If that is the case, then how long of a leash should the starting quarterback get if the offense isn't performing?

Benching a quarterback comes with consequences, no doubt. But there are consequences of playing an under-performing quarterback as well. The non-conference slate is critical for BYU's bowl chances. The offense needs to be good early on.

3. What is going to be the identity of the offense?

What is going to be the one thing that BYU can hang their hat on? Whether it's a physical running attack, a downfield passing attack, or something in between, BYU needs to find its identity on offense. Once you have established your identity, the defense has to adjust to that and it opens up other areas of the offense as a result.

Last year, the BYU offense lacked an identity. They couldn't run the ball consistently, therefore the play-action passing game didn't work like it did in years past. They couldn't move it well enough through the air to open up the run game. You get the idea.

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has talked about establishing the run ever since Spring camp started. If that's the identity, then BYU needs to establish that during the last week of camp. Get the quarterback involved in the run game. Get the tight ends and wide receivers to buy into the idea that a better run game creates more opportunities in the pass game.

The receivers look like they could be the strength of the team in 2024. Whatever the offensive identity is, the wide receivers need to be involved a lot.

4. Who is going to create a consistent pass rush outside of Tyler Batty?

A question that BYU has needed to answer over the last several seasons: who is going to get pressure on the quarterback outside of Tyler Batty?

Tyler Batty accounted for 25% of quarterback pressures in 2023. Batty had more than double the quarterback pressures of AJ Vongphachanh, who ranked second on the team. BYU needs someone not named Tyler Batty to get more pressure on the quarterback.

There have been practices where the defensive line gets consistent pressure, but it's been more of a by-committee attack. If that's sustainable then it's the best-case scenario - who wouldn't want a defense with six guys that can pressure the quarterback? However, history suggests that BYU will need at least one individual to step up and prove an ability to get after the quarterback consistently.

The top four defensive ends in camp have been Tyler Batty, Isaiah Bagnah, Logan Lutui, and Bodie Schoonover. Tyler Batty had 34 pressures a season ago. Bagnah, Lutui, and Schoonover combined for 14 total quarterback pressures. One of those defensive ends will need to be more of a pass-rushing threat.

Jack Kelly led the Big Sky in sacks last season. How much will he be used as a pass rusher from the linebacker spot?

5. Who are the leaders on the team?

BYU needs to identify its best leaders over the next week. The Cougars will officially name captains before the season opener against Southern Illinois. This is an important decision for a team that will likely go through some adversity this season.

Let's go back to 2022, for example. BYU's team captains were Jaren Hall, Puka Nacua, Blake Freeland, Clark Barrington, Lorenzo Fauatea, Payton Wilgar, Kaleb Hayes, and Keenan Pili. Tight end Dallin Holker was named a co-captain. Dallin Holker quit on the team in Septebmer and two team captains entered the transfer portal after the season.

That 2022 underperformed and, with the benefit of hindsight, player leadership likely contributed to that. BYU needs a solid leadership team in 2024 to help get back to bowl eligibility.

Connor Pay will certainly be named a captain. Tyler Batty is a lock to be a team captain. Jakob Robinson will be a team captain again.