BYU football coach Kalani Sitake acknowledged Monday that BYU’s defensive depth has been tested mightily with the losses of opening-day starters Keenan Pili, Keenan Ellis, Chaz Ah You and now, Payton Wilgar, the outstanding linebacker who needed season-ending shoulder surgery.
On offense, starting center James Empey and starting receiver Neil Pau’u remain out and are “highly unlikely” to play vs. USC, Sitake said.
“Hoping for some others (such as Ah You and right tackles Harris LaChance and Campbell Barrington) that are still in the mix” to play, he said. “We have had to shift around some pieces. … We are going into this game ready to play and some young guys and other guys will have opportunities to step up and I am looking forward to seeing them do that.”