Cougs Daily

BYU Football: Evaluating Depth at the Skill Positions

When was the last time BYU had this much depth at the skill positions?

Casey Lundquist

BYU ranks dead last in returning production heading into the 2021 season. For a team like BYU that doesn't recruit at a top 25 clip, losing so much production would typically indicate a rebuilding season in 2021. However, BYU is trying to become a program that can transition from rebuilding seasons to reloading seasons. BYU's depth at the skill positions might allow them to make that transition. Today, let's evaluate the depth at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end.

Quarterback

Zach Wilson's historic season won't be replicated in 2021. It's not fair to expect the same results from Jaren Hall, Jacob Conover, or Baylor Romney that we saw from Zach Wilson last season. However, BYU has built themselves a solid QB pipeline under Kalani Sitake, and they have multiple guys capable of running a productive offense. Here was our pre-spring projected depth chart at QB:

1. Baylor Romney OR Jaren Hall OR Jacob Conover

4. Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters

Other names to watch: Jake Jensen

We know that BYU has two experienced quarterbacks in Jaren Hall and Baylor Romney that have exceled in limited opportunities. Then there is Jacob Conover who, in my opinion, is a future starting quarterback at BYU. The question is whether the Conover era begins in 2021 or not.

BYU's quarterback room lacks a lot of starting experience, but the depth is encouraging. Whomever starts against Arizona will have beat out some very talented competitors.

Running Back

Tyler Allgeier

Injuries have plagued running back depth under Kalani Sitake - the Cougars have lost multiple running backs to season-ending injuries every year dating back to 2017. That remained true in 2020 when BYU lost Jackson McChesney and Hinckley Ropati to season-ending injuries. In other words, depth beyond the two-deep is very important at running back. Here is our projected depth chart at running back:

  1. Tyler Allgeier
  2. Lopini Katoa

Other names to watch: Sione Finau, Jackson McChesney, Hinckley Ropati, Miles Davis, and Mason Fakahua

Sione Finau looked like the running back of the future before he tore his ACL in 2019. Can Finau return to form in 2021? Hinckley Ropati was turning heads last fall camp before he suffered a torn ACL. Will be be healthy in 2021? ACL injuries are tricky, time will tell whether Ropati will be 100% by fall camp. As Twitter learned on Thursday, Ropati certainly looks the part. Photos of Ropati at spring practice swept across BYU Twitter yesterday:

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The impressive photos sparked plenty of reactions from BYU fans. Of the best responses, Fesi Sitake's won the day:

Jackson McChesney is rehabbing from a lisfranc injury that he suffered in the opener against Navy. Will he be healthy (have you noticed the theme?) in 2021?

Miles Davis has all the talent to be a special player at BYU, but he might need some more experience at running back before he becomes a consistent contributor. Davis moved from wide receiver to running back during the 2020 season.

Wide Receiver

This will be brief - we broke down the wide receiver depth chart yesterday. If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that Gunner Romney and Neil Pau'u will be important pieces in the 2021 offense. Beyond that, it's a bunch of question marks. Puka Nacua has the talent to be the best of the bunch should he learn the playbook and stay healthy. Samson Nacua is interesting - he is talented, but most notably he brings a different style to the room. He is more of a true slot receiver, and I think he will start at the slot receiver position for BYU. Below is my updated depth chart projection:

  1. Neil Pau'u OR Puka Nacua
  2. Keanu Hill
  1. Gunner Romney
  2. Chris Jackson
  1. Samson Nacua
  2. Kody Epps

Other names to watch: Brayden Cosper, Chase Roberts, Hobbs Nyberg, Talmage Gunther, Kade Moore, Luc Andrada, Tanner Wall

When was the last time BYU had this much depth and talent at the wide receiver position? BYU's depth at WR is a strength heading into 2021.

Tight End

Lest we forget about the tight ends. BYU has a proven starter returning in Isaac Rex, and multiple guys that could be contributors for the Cougars. Here is our projected depth chart:

  1. Isaac Rex
  2. Dallin Holker OR Carter Wheat

Isaac Rex was simply fantastic as a redshirt freshman in 2020. Don't forget about Dallin Holker. Holker competed with Matt Bushman for a starting job when Holker was just a true freshman. Holker had 19 receptions for 235 yards as a freshman in 2018 before he left for his mission in Chile.

Other names to watch: Bentley Hanshaw, Lane Lunt, Hank Tuipulotu, Ben Tuipulotu

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Casey Lundquist
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.

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