BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis and the offense take the sphere throughout spring camp in Provo. Slovis is the undisputed QB1 heading into the offseason. Nate Edwards, BYU Picture
BYU quarterbacks collect with teaching employees on the finish of opening day of BYU spring soccer camp on the BYU Indoor Observe Facility in Provo, on Monday, March 6, 2023. Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
Quarterback Kedon Slovis, palms off to working again Hinckley Ropati, as BYU practices in Provo on Friday, March 17, 2023. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
BYU Cougars vast receiver Keanu Hill (1) runs a route towards Cougars defensive again D’Angelo Mandell (5) in the course of the annual BYU Blue vs. White scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, March 31, 2023. Ryan Solar, Deseret Information
BYU tight finish Isaac Rex (83) celebrates his landing towards he Oregon Geese at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
What was going to be the BYU Cougars’ most urgent place battle within the 2023 soccer season was settled the day after two-year beginning quarterback Jaren Corridor declared for the NFL draft.
“Very first thing is, we are going to by no means flip down an important participant. So if there's a nice participant that desires to be right here, at any place, we are going to take into account them. However yeah, we gotta get a bit bit extra depth at our ability place areas.” — BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick
On Christmas Eve final December, Pitt switch QB Kedon Slovis dedicated to BYU coach Kalani Sitake and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. And that was that. When a high-profile switch like Slovis was makes his resolution, there isn't a want to fret a few QB derby, no matter what coaches would possibly say publicly.
Simply in case, Roderick reiterated Friday when BYU’s 15-practice spring camp concluded on the outside observe discipline behind the Scholar Athlete Constructing that Slovis is QB1.
“Kedon is our starter, and I wish to make that clear,” Roderick mentioned. “We put him in place to earn that job, and he has clearly lived as much as what we anticipated up up to now. So he'll go into fall camp as our beginning quarterback.”
The remainder of the quarterback depth chart? That’s nonetheless up within the air, Roderick acknowledged, saying returning QB Cade Fennegan and junior faculty switch Jake Retzlaff are nonetheless battling to be QB2 and that the derby will proceed when preseason coaching camp begins in early August.
“Each have had some good days,” Roderick mentioned, whereas additionally noting that Retzlaff’s tonsillectomy and ensuing problems that saved him out of camp the primary few weeks “undoubtedly” slowed his progress.
“However he got here on robust,” Roderick mentioned. “Cade is an efficient participant, too. It's a good competitors.”
Roderick mentioned if any of the opposite QBs on the roster — Nick Billoups, Cole Hagen or freshman Ryder Burton — enter the switch portal, which opened final Saturday, “will probably be a shock to me.”
It received’t be a shock, both, if BYU’s offense retains on clicking within the Huge 12, after it and Corridor carried the Cougars final season when the protection faltered, significantly in the midst of the season.
BYU, which went 8-5, completed the season ranked No. 36 within the nation in whole offense, averaging a decent 426.3 yards per recreation. Matching or exceeding that quantity shall be tough in a Energy 5 convention, however Roderick mentioned the items are in place if the Cougars can keep wholesome.
Roderick appreciated the best way spring camp went for the offense, whilst anticipated key contributors in 2023 resembling receiver Kody Epps, tight finish Isaac Rex and switch working again Aidan Robbins have been held out of dwell (contact) drills and scrimmages.
“We have now an extended solution to go. We have now to get rather a lot higher,” Roderick mentioned. “However we made some good progress, too. There was a whole lot of growth from the younger guys, and for probably the most half we stayed wholesome. This was probably the most bodily spring we've had since I've been right here, and we had only a few accidents.”
Sitake and Roderick mentioned Friday that they may now flip their consideration to recruiting and scouring the switch portal for extra offensive assist, significantly at receiver and maybe at tight finish. Monday, they discovered one other offensive lineman, as Oklahoma State proper sort out Caleb Etienne introduced his dedication to the Cougars.
“Very first thing is, we are going to by no means flip down an important participant,” Roderick mentioned, when requested which positions are areas of want after spring camp. “So if there's a nice participant that desires to be right here, at any place, we are going to take into account them. However yeah, we gotta get a bit bit extra depth at our ability place areas. We like the blokes we've, however we're a bit skinny proper now.”
As for the offensive depth chart, Sitake mentioned they're “fairly shut” to having it set, however there may very well be motion as extra gamers are added and guys return from accidents and offseason surgical procedures.
“There shall be some names we add to offer some extra depth and extra competitors,” Sitake mentioned. “However I feel the majority of our group is put collectively fairly properly proper now.”
If custom holds, BYU will not launch a post-spring depth chart till Huge 12 media days in mid-July. However we’ve acquired you lined. Right here’s the Deseret Information’ fourth-annual post-spring stab at what the offensive two-deep chart will appear like this fall. Our stab on the defensive depth chart and specialists shall be put on-line later this week:
No quandary at quarterback, remarkably
For a workforce that needed to begin a fourth-string quarterback — Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters — final December to beat SMU within the bowl recreation, the Cougars are remarkably set on the place 4 months later, due to the additions of Slovis, Retzlaff, Burton and Cole Hagen, the previous Nook Canyon star. Maiava-Peters is now a working again.
“I'm proud of our quarterbacks. I imply, we began throughout there. We don’t have a quarterback that has taken a snap for us in a recreation right here but, so it was just about ranging from scratch this spring,” Roderick mentioned. “I count on that group to be actually strong. We are going to put quarterback on the sphere irrespective of who we play.”
BYU quarterbacks collect with teaching employees on the finish of opening day of BYU spring soccer camp on the BYU Indoor Observe Facility in Provo, on Monday, March 6, 2023.
Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
Sitake mentioned when spring camp opened in early March that he was happy with the quarterbacks Roderick introduced in, however not giving up on returners resembling Fennegan and Billoups. Jacob Conover hit the switch portal and is now competing with different transfers for the beginning job at Arizona State.
“We wish to see the opposite guys hold pressuring (Slovis), hold competing for spots,” Sitake mentioned. “I solely know a technique, and that's to play one of the best guys.”
Are Robbins and Ropati prepared at working again?
Slovis is well the Cougars’ greatest offseason acquisition, however UNLV switch Robbins could show to be simply as useful to an offense that needed to revert again to a by-committee method in 2022 as a result of projected workhorse again Chris Brooks, the Cal switch, struggled midseason to search out his footing, then was hit with hamstring points.
Robbins had surgical procedure on his proper wrist in January — the damage really occurred the second recreation of UNLV’s 2022 season — and missed contact in camp however was there every single day doing all the pieces else.
Quarterback Kedon Slovis, palms off to working again Hinckley Ropati, as BYU practices in Provo on Friday, March 17, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
“Truthfully, my wrist is ok, man,” Robbins mentioned final week. “I'm undoubtedly forward in my restoration course of, a minimum of a bit bit.”
Roderick mentioned Robbins “actually may play proper now. We're simply being sensible. It's a hand factor. We don’t wish to mess that up. He appears nice on the market. Actually sensible man, is aware of what we're doing. We're simply defending him. … We wish to get him to the primary recreation wholesome.”
Operating backs coach Harvey Unga isn’t tipping his hand, however it seems that senior Hinckley “Folau” Ropati shall be Robbins’ main backup, with Miles Davis, Maiava-Peters and Utah State switch Enoch Nawahine additionally within the combine.
“Versatility” is the energy of the group, Unga mentioned. “That has been the enjoyable factor. We have now a whole lot of guys who can do a whole lot of various things.”
Receiver place wants restocking
That BYU wants extra assist on the receiver place grew to become obvious within the bowl recreation, because the Cougars performed with out departing stars Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney and struggled to maneuver the ball by the air. Additionally, Kody Epps was out after having had midseason surgical procedure.
Epps missed spring ball, too, leaving junior Keanu Hill and sophomore Chase Roberts because the solely skilled pass-catchers in camp.
BYU Cougars vast receiver Keanu Hill (1) runs a route towards Cougars defensive again D’Angelo Mandell (5) in the course of the annual BYU Blue vs. White scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, March 31, 2023.
Ryan Solar, Deseret Information
Epps, Hill and Roberts will start fall camp because the unquestioned starters, until the Cougars land a top-notch receiver from the switch portal. Actually, they're wanting laborious for one, perhaps two, Roderick acknowledged Friday.
“I made the assertion earlier: We wish to improve our depth there,” Roderick mentioned. “However we like the blokes we've. It isn't that we don’t really feel like we're good there. It's simply that our general numbers are a bit decrease than they've been the previous two years, and it's a lengthy season.
“You want a whole lot of guys to get by a season. It wasn’t a mirrored image on what I consider the blokes we've,” he continued. “It's nearly having sufficient of them to get by the Huge 12 season. That's going to be a extra bodily league than what (form of schedule) we've been enjoying.”
Freshman Parker Kingston missed the final a part of camp with a hand damage, however “was enjoying rather well” earlier than that, Roderick mentioned. Freshmen Dom Henry, Koa Eldredge and Devin Downing are additionally within the combine to make the two-deep chart.
“Oh, and Hobbs Nyberg and Talmage Gunther are each dependable guys you can depend on,” Roderick mentioned. “I wouldn’t be shocked for those who see these guys play some this 12 months, too.”
Prime tight ends return
BYU’s tight finish depth took a serious hit early final season when Dallin Holker left and finally entered the switch portal. He’s now at Colorado State.
That pressured former Freshman All-American Isaac Rex to play extra than he would have appreciated as he continued to recuperate from a devastating ankle damage in 2021, however Rex was as much as the duty and the Cougars acquired by it.
BYU tight finish Isaac Rex (83) celebrates his landing towards he Oregon Geese at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
Rex had one other surgical procedure to scrub up some scar tissue when the 2022 season ended, however is again and searching like his former self this spring.
Sophomore Ethan Erickson and freshman Anthony Olsen will again up Rex in 2023, whereas Roderick mentioned Friday that he “wouldn’t be shocked” if prized freshman recruit Jackson Bowers strikes into the rotation after he arrives this summer time.
“He has an opportunity to play as a freshman, simply because bodily he appears like a university soccer participant already,” Roderick mentioned.
A minor overhaul for offensive line
As has been well-documented, Roderick and offensive line coach Darrell Funk have mentioned the Cougars’ offensive line in 2023 may very well be higher than it was in 2022 — which was fairly good. Regardless that Blake Freeland is off to the NFL and the Barrington brothers — Campbell and Clark — transferred to Baylor, the coaches imagine this group shall be extra athletic throughout the board.
It's led by former five-star recruit Kingsley Suamataia, who's shifting to Freeland’s spot at left sort out. Utah switch Paul Maile and returning starter Connor Pay seemingly have the middle and proper guard spots nailed down, and may very well be interchangeable at these positions.
“I don’t know the place I'm going to play within the fall,” Pay mentioned. “I simply don’t. As a result of with Paul coming in, and he wasn’t capable of take part in spring, we're going to need to determine it out. Is it higher with him at guard, and me at heart? Or vice versa?”
Junior Brayden Keim acquired a lot of the reps with those at proper sort out in camp and can presumably duel with OSU switch Etienne to be the starter there.
At left guard, the battle may very well be between Missouri State switch Ian Fitzgerald, Utah State switch Weylin Lapuaho and former junior faculty basketball participant Tyler Little.
“There are 4 months till the season,” Pay mentioned. “So much can change.”
Snow Faculty switch Lisala Tai and freshmen Peter Falaniko, Trevin Ostler and Vae Soifua may additionally contend for beginning spots.
“We're nonetheless including to the room, and we are going to determine who we've as we get into Might and June,” Funk mentioned on March 17.
BYU’s projected offensive depth chart
Starter — Backup
QB 10 Kedon Slovis (Sr.) — 12 Jake Retzlaff (Jr.)
RB 3 Aidan Robbins (Jr.) — 7 Hinckley Ropati (Sr.)
WR 0 Kody Epps (So.) — 82 Parker Kingston (Fr.)
WR 1 Keanu Hill (Jr.) — 23 Hobbs Nyberg (Jr.)
WR 2 Chase Roberts (So.) — 88 Devin Downing (Fr.)
FB 13 Masen Wake (Sr.) — 22 Mason Fakahua (Jr.)
TE 83 Isaac Rex (Jr.) — 7 Ethan Erickson (So.)
LT 78 Kingsley Suamataia (So.) — 58 Lisala Tai (Jr.)
LG 65 Ian Fitzgerald (Sr.) — 60 Tyler Little (So.)
C 70 Connor Pay (Jr.) — 68 Peter Falaniko (Fr.)
RG 54 Paul Maile (Sr.) — 61 Weylin Lapuaho (So.)
RT 76 Caleb Etienne (Sr.) — 64 Brayden Keim (Jr.)