Editor’s note: This story is the 16th in a series looking at every Big 12 football team in 2024.
If the BYU football team’s plan to surpass low expectations in its second season in the Big 12 had to be summed up in two words, it would be these: Increase physicality.
For if there was a common denominator in BYU’s seven conference losses last year en route to a 5-7 overall season — 2-7 in the Big 12 — it was that the Cougars were often dominated at the line of scrimmage. They couldn’t control the football, they couldn’t stop the run or put much pressure on the opposing defenders.
Very simple.
“There’s a sense of urgency — we knew our identity was physical, but then we found teams that are also physical,” said coach Kalani Sitake. “And so in the past, you’ve been able to bank on that being a competitive advantage. This is the standard at BYU. So for us, it’s about being more physical. These were the most physical spring practices we’ve ever had.”
As has been drilled into their heads for months, the Cougars are picked to finish 13th in the new 16-team league, ahead of only 2023 Big 12 newcomers Cincinnati and Houston and Pac-12 newcomers Arizona State.
Sitake said neither he nor his players blame the media for the apparent disrespect.
Instead, they are focusing all their energy on getting bigger, faster and stronger – especially in the trenches.
The Cougars knew what they were getting into after 12 years as a college football independent, but experiencing it was something else entirely.
“By year two, players know exactly what to expect. They know what they need to practice,” Sitake said. “These guys want to get back on the field. The sense of urgency comes not just from them, but also from myself. I was very pleased with what I saw from the team. There is intrinsic motivation. So, all of this had to happen so that we could get through this first year. Now I expect very different results.”
Then Sitake issued a kind of subtle warning.
“I don’t blame you (media voters) for the way you did this,” he said. “But if you could see what we see and know what we know, I think it would be a little different. And that’s okay.”
BYU football in 2024
Wednesday, the talk stops and the action begins as the Cougars begin preseason training camp practices in Provo.
Stories include the starting quarterback battle, the health of the running backs, the depth of the offensive line and whether or not the defense has improved in Jay Hill’s second season as defensive coordinator.
The Deseret News will dissect all this and more in the coming weeks.
The end result, though, is player improvement, as BYU coaches opted for continuity and consistency when building their roster and depth chart for 2024. They only took a few players from the transfer portal — most notably Weber linebacker State’s Jack Kelly and Baylor/UCF quarterback Gerry Bohanon.
“We’re running around with a lot of the same guys we had last year,” offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick acknowledged.
“We kind of grew old together,” defensive end Tyler Batty said, particularly describing the defensive line. “I would say our entire program is pretty focused right now. The guys are very attentive to what we want to accomplish. They’re really looking forward to the season and playing football, so I think that’s just the mentality, the general feeling we have right now.
Batty, the only member of BYU’s preseason all-conference team, said “the guys are aware” that BYU was picked 13th, but they’re not taking it too seriously.
“We know what our identity is. We are very aware and aware of the success we have had in recent seasons. And so, I would say last season was more of an anomaly than typical of us,” Batty said. “So the guys are really looking forward to working hard and getting to Game 1 so we can show what we’re capable of.”
One of BYU’s four offensive linemen with starting experience, center Connor Pay, was in the vanguard of the movement for more physicality between players. Other returning forwards include Brayden Keim, Weylin Lapuaho and Caleb Etienne.
“Physicality was the focus of spring ball, mainly because it’s vital. To have a good offensive line you have to be physical, move the line of scrimmage,” said Pay. “We want to be the most physical line in college football, and that’s been a big emphasis in the offseason because that’s an area where we feel like we didn’t perform well last year.”
Pay said having a year in the Big 12 will make a big difference.
“The only way to really understand something is to experience it,” he said. “So now that we’ve experienced the Big 12 schedule week in and week out, I think we’re a little more mature in that aspect, in how to handle it. This will be very useful in the second year.”
Defensively, BYU’s best returning players are Batty, cornerback Jakob Robinson, hybrid defender Micah Harper and safety Talan Alfrey. Linebacker Ben Bywater is also on this list, but there are fears he isn’t healthy after shoulder surgery last fall.
“I think last year affected everyone. Our biggest focus is being excited for football season. We’re keeping our heads down,” Robinson said. “I think Kalani has his head down too. We just want to go into the season and win games. That’s the main focus.”
“I mean, we are BYU. We were always underdogs. We are used to it,” he continued. “It’s motivating to go out and have a better season than last year and work harder every day.”
Receiver Chase Roberts said the Cougars will surprise some people in 2024.
“Honestly, the people who pick where we are haven’t seen what we did in the offseason,” Roberts said. “I’m super confident in being there and seeing what happened in the offseason and what we can do.
“So, I don’t care. I don’t pay attention to ratings or anything like that,” Roberts continued. “I can speak for the entire team. Let’s just trust what we did in the offseason and show that we’ve improved a lot. We have some vets returning, some coaches back and we’re going to be a great team in the Big 12.
BYU Cougars 2024 Preview
2023 record: 5-7 (2-7 Big 12)
2024 Schedule
August 31 – Southern Illinois.
September 6th – at SMU.
September 14 – in Wyoming.
September 21 – Kansas State.
September 28 – at Baylor.
October 12 – Arizona.
October 18 – Oklahoma State.
October 26 – in Central Florida.
November 9 – in Utah.
November 16 – Kansas.
November 23 – in the state of Arizona.
November 29 – Utah.
