Newcomers Headline Top Storylines of BYU Football Fall Camp
On Monday, BYU football players reported to Fall camp. On Tuesday, BYU officially kicks of Fall camp with the first practice. Here are the top storylines ahead of BYU's camp.
1. Integrating the Newcomers
59 newcomers are listed on BYU's 2023 roster. The group of newcomers is comprised of FBS transfers, 2023 signees, and signees from previous classes. Integrating the many new faces will be one of the top storylines of Fall camp.
In an earlier article, we projected that as much as half of BYU's starting lineup could consist be transfer. Perhaps none more notable than starting quarterback Kedon Slovis. Slovis has thrown for nearly 10,000 yards in his collegiate career. Other transfers like Aidan Robbins, Keelan Marions, Darius Lassiter, Paul Maile, Caleb Etienne and others are expected to make an immediate impact for BYU. BYU also welcomes veterans like Eddie Heckard, Jackson Cravens, Kamden Garrett, Isaiah Bagnah, and AJ Vongphachanh on defense.
BYU recognized the need to add talent and depth to the roster. The staff recruited relentlessly to bring so many newcomers on board, but now the focus shifts to preparing those newcomers for the season opener. BYU’s bowl hopes in 2023 will hinge on how smoothly and how quickly BYU can get the returning players to gel with the new players.
2. A New Defensive Staff
Credit: BYU Photo
BYU replaced nearly all of its defensive staff following the 2022 season. Former Weber State head coach Jay Hill left Ogden for Provo to become BYU’s defensive coordinator. “Aggressive” was the word consistently repeated during Spring camp, and now BYU has the pieces in place to implement the new aggressive, complex scheme.
The first step to a new and improved defense will be stopping the run. Last year, BYU ranked 97th in the country allowing 174 rushing yards per game. The inconsistencies against the run allowed opposing offenses to stay ahead of the chains and manageable third down situations.
The second step will be to pressure the quarterback. To say the Cougars also struggled to get after the quarterback would be an understatement. BYU ranked 129th in the country in sacks, averaging 1.15 sacks per game.
Another area of improvement will need to be third down defense. Whether it was third and long or third and short, BYU’s defense struggled to get off the field. The Cougars ranked 121st in the country allowing 46% conversion on third down.
Jay Hill and staff will be tasked with improving the defense against some of the best offenses in the country in the Big 12.
3. New Faces Along the Offensive Line
BYU only returns two starters from the 2022 offensive line: Kingsley Suamataia and Connor Pay. Pay will start at either center or guard while Suamataia will slide over to start at left tackle. Those two will need to be anchors on an offensive line that will feature a lot of new faces. The Cougars welcomed a handful of experienced transfers to backfill the outgoing players. Among them are former Power Five starters Paul Maile, Caleb Etienne, and Simi Moala. Utah State transfer Weylin Lapuaho transferred to BYU after starting every game as a true freshman last season for the Aggies. BYU also welcomed former starters from the FCS level in Jake Eichorn and Ian Fitzgerald.
The competition for the three open spots will be fierce. Along with the newcomers, returning players like Tyler Little, Brayden Keim, Peter Falaniko, and Trevin Ostler will compete for the available spots on the two-deep. These are position battles that will need to be sorted as soon as possible to give the starting unit time to gel as a group.
4. Can Any Freshman Emerge as Contributors?
Credit: BYU Photo
Every camp, there are young players that emerge and earn spots in the rotation. It’s been well documented that BYU will need to have depth to survive a Power Five schedule. While it’s unfair to expect freshman to contribute right away, they can provide valuable depth if they are ready to contribute earlier than anticipated. BYU would do very well to have multiple young players emerge as contributors or even starting-caliber players.
Guys like Aisea Moa, Raider Damuni, Marcus McKenzie, Bodie Schoonover, Michael Daley, Isaiah Glasker, and Siale Esera are a few of the guys on defense that could fit that description. Moa, Damuni, and Esera were four-star recruits in high school.
On offense, BYU welcomes four-star running back LJ Martin out of Texas and four-star tight end Jackson Bowers. They also welcome the likes of Jake Griffin, Jojo Phillips, and Ryder Burton. Any contributions from this group would bolster the depth in 2023 and give BYU’s offense pieces to build around in the future.
The Cougars kick off the 2023 season against Sam Houston in just over a month.
Follow us for future coverage:
Facebook - @CougsDaily
Twitter - @Cougs_Daily and Casey Lundquist at @casey_lundquist
Instagram - @cougs_daily
