Half of BYU's Starters Could be Transfers in 2023

BYU's starting lineup will feature a lot of new faces in 2023

One thing was clear after BYU's 2022 season: the Cougars needed more talent and depth for their first season in the Big 12. The BYU coaching staff primarily turned to the transfer portal to address roster needs for the 2023 season. Since the end of the last season, BYU has added 21 transfers to the roster.  BYU's transfer class ranks 20th nationally and third in the Big 12. Thanks to the transfers, BYU's depth is in a much better position today than it was six months ago. The Cougars aren't necessarily done adding players for next season, so even though a few more bodies could be added before August, we have a really good feel for what BYU's roster will look like come Fall camp. 

While projecting the depth chart for next season, the sheer number of transfers in the two-deep stands out. There's a reasonable scenario where half (or more) of BYU's 22 starters could be transfers this season. Keep in mind - that number excludes former transfers like Kingsley Suamatai who were on the roster last season.

Half sounds like a lot on the surface, and it is. Especially when you consider the history of transfers in college football. Starting as many as 11 transfers is a possibility today that didn't existent even a few years ago. So who could be the transfers in the starting lineup? And could there really be 11 transfers that become starters? As of this writing, there are eight transfers that have either been named starters already or are very, very likely to start in week one for BYU (according to the opinions of this author):

1. Kedon Slovis - QB
2. Isaiah Bagnah - DL
3. Caleb Etienne - OL
4. Aidan Robbins - RB
5. Eddie Heckard - DB
6. Jackson Cravens - DL
7. Paul Maile - OL
8. AJ Vongphachanh - LB

There's another group of eight transfers that could start for BYU against Sam Houston:

1. Kamden Garrett - DB
2. Ian Fitzgerald - OL
3. Deion Smith - RB
4. Harrison Taggart - LB
5. Jake Eichorn - OL
6. Keelan Marion - WR
7. Darius Lassiter - WR
8. Weylin Lapuaho - OL

Some of these players will be competing for starting spots against fellow transfers. Therefore, in terms of incremental transfers in the starting lineup, this group of eight could add as many as four more transfers to the list: 

1. A linebacker (Harrison Taggart)
2. A wide receiver (Darius Lassiter or Keelan Marion)
3. An offensive lineman (Weylin Lapuaho, Jake Eichorn, or Ian Fitzgerald)
4. A cornerback (Kamden Garrett)

In summary, there are 16 transfers that could take 8-12 starting spots. When BYU kicks off against Sam Houston in September, half of the starting lineup could consist of players that came to BYU via the transfer portal. The transfer portal has brought a new era to college football, and it didn't take long for BYU to use the unprecedented new guidelines to turnover its roster at an unprecedented rate. 

The 2023 season will be a fascinating case study on the use of the transfer portal, and whether BYU was able to strike the right roster balance for its first season in the Big 12.

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