Seven Candidates to Represent BYU on the All-Big 12 First Team

In college football, individual success is a good indicator for team success. In 2022, for example, the Big 12 championship game included TCU and Kansas State.

Casey Lundquist | Aug 15, 2023

In college football, individual success is a good indicator for team success. In 2022, for example, the Big 12 championship game included TCU and Kansas State. Those two programs represented 48% of the All-Big 12 first team. If BYU wants to make a bowl game and even surprise the conference by contending for a championship, individual players will have to step up and play at an all-conference level.

Today, we take a closer look at seven BYU players that could emerge as all-conference players in 2023.

Kingsley Suamataia - OL

BYU left tackle Kingsley Suamataia is the most obvious inclusion on this list. Suamataia was the only BYU player included on the Preseason All-Big 12 team. With a healthy season in 2023, Suamataia could emerge as not only an all-conference selection, but a first round NFL Draft pick as well.

Aidan Robbins - RB

Aidan Robbins comes to BYU after running for 1,000 yards at UNLV last season. Robbins will be the biggest starting running back in the conference, if not in the country, at 6'3 and 240 pounds. If Robbins can quickly get comfortable in BYU's scheme, he has all-conference potential.

The preseason All-Big 12 selections were Baylor's Richard Reese and Kansas' Devin Neal. Reese ran for 972 yards last year and Neal ran for 1,090 in 2022. With a clean bill of health in 2023, Robbins can outproduce both of those marks.

Ryan Rehkow - P

Ryan Rehkow averaged 46.2 yards per punt last year. Cincinnati's Mason Fletcher, who was named the preseason All-Big 12 punter, averaged 46.2 yards per punt as well. If Rehkow can achieve a little more consistency in 2023, he could be the best punter in the conference.

Eddie Heckard - DB

Former FCS All-American Eddie Heckard will make his Power Five debut for the Cougars this season. Heckard will not only start right away for BYU, but he will be one of the leaders of the defense as well. Heckard has NFL potential - if he lives up to that potential in 2023 he could end up as one of the best defensive backs in the Big 12.

Ben Bywater - LB

BYU linebacker Ben Bywater has 200 tackles over the last two seasons. Bywater also made one of the best defensive plays of the season last year when he intercepted a pass in the bowl game and took it back for a touchdown. If Bywater can produce another 100-tackle season, he will be in contention for first-team All-Big 12.

AJ Vongphachanh - LB

Utah State transfer AJ Vongphachanh led the Aggies with 101 tackles last season. Like Bywater, if Vongphachanh racks up tackles in the triple digits, he will be in contention for first-team all conference.

Kedon Slovis - QB

It may be a longshot, but Kedon Slovis could emerge as an all-conference quarterback for BYU. In 2022, Max Duggan was the first-team Big 12 quarterback with 3,698 yards and 32 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. Slovis has already produced at a very similar level in his career.

As a true freshman, Slovis threw for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns to just 9 interceptions at USC. If Aaron Roderick can help Slovis return to that level of play, he will have a case to be the all-conference quarterback.

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Published Aug 15, 2023

CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.