There might not be a college football program in the country that benefited more from the pandemic than BYU’s did.
Don’t believe us?
Consider where the program was 12 months ago as it headed into 2020 coming off back-to-back losses to finish another lackluster 7-6 season. The buzz from coach Kalani Sitake’s midseason contract extension and wins over USC, Tennessee and Boise State was starting to fade.
Zach Wilson looked only slightly better than average after returning from a fractured thumb injury.
Now ponder the prospects for 2021 for a program that suffered just one loss, artfully navigated a rebuilt schedule and produced a quarterback — the same Wilson, a junior and drastically improved — who not only reestablished the Y. as Quarterback U., but will likely be taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, which begins April 30 and runs through May 2.
The outlook is considerably brighter, don’t you think? Cougar Nation has rarely felt better about itself.
“Yeah, we’ve got good quarterbacks in the room. So whatever Zach decides, I feel confident we have a good group and we will continue to play at a high level at quarterback.” — BYU passing game coordinator Aaron Roderick
Not to spoil your New Year’s Eve revelry, but the irony is that the Cougars won’t be as good next year. It just doesn’t look possible. Besides, they will face a schedule — barring more disruptions from COVID-19 — that, on paper, could be one of the more treacherous ones in BYU’s 11 seasons as an independent.
Speaking of such, BYU almost certainly will be playing in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, next winter against an opponent from Conference USA, assuming it is bowl eligible. That matchup was announced last January when the Cougars agreed to a contract extension with ESPN for broadcast rights and ESPN Events for bowl positioning.
Of course, projecting any program’s prospects for success is a bit precarious this coming year, after the NCAA ruled in August that the 2020 football season won’t count against a student-athlete’s eligibility. Theoretically, any or all of the 15 seniors who were honored before the Cougars’ 28-14 win over San Diego State on Dec. 12 could return, although most indications are that few, if any, will.
Also, several underclassmen will depart early for a shot at professional football, most notably Wilson, junior left tackle Brady Christensen and Dax Milne.
Wilson is expected to make that same announcement any day now.
And there could be some new faces on the coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes is being considered for several Power Five OC jobs, and if he gets and accepts one, he might take a couple staffers with him, most notably OL coach Eric Mateos.
After the Cougars pummeled UCF 49-23 in the Boca Raton Bowl, coach Kalani Sitake spoke bullishly about the program’s future, saying he has seen “a lot of progress made over the last few years” and that “a lot of young guys who made a lot of plays have bright futures here at BYU.”
We will see.
Meanwhile, here is a position-by-position look at what the Cougars will lose, or could put on the field, in 2021:
Quarterback
Get ready for another spirited quarterback derby in Provo, as 2020 backup Baylor Romney, two-sport athlete Jaren Hall, redshirt freshman Sol-Jay Maiava and four-star recruit/returned missionary Jacob Conover joust to be the man who replaces Wilson.
“Yeah, we’ve got good quarterbacks in the room,” passing game coordinator Aaron Roderick said before the bowl game. “So whatever Zach decides, I feel confident we have a good group and we will continue to play at a high level at quarterback.”
The money here is on Conover, who has been as good as advertised in practices since joining the team last August. Hall is battling a hip injury that caused him to miss the entire 2020 season, while Romney is Mr. Steady but not quite as mobile as the others.
Running back
Rising junior Tyler Allgeier burst onto the scene in a big way, becoming the first Cougar RB to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season since Jamaal Williams in 2016, and will play in the NFL some day, many believe. Lopini Katoa returns for his senior season as another back with excellent pass-catching skills, giving the Cougars a nice one-two punch there for the new starting QB to enjoy.
Three RBs who were injured or recovering from surgery in 2020 — sophomores Sione Finau and Jackson McChesney and junior college transfer Hinckley Ropati — will push the two co-starters for totes, along with talented newcomer Miles Davis, if he stays at that position and doesn’t return to receiver.
Walk-on Masen Wake returns as one of the better fullbacks in the country, while backup FB Kyle Griffitts is staying in the program after receiving a late scholarship — but as a graduate coach.
Receiver/tight end
Rising senior Dax Milne announced via Twitter on Thursday that he is declaring for the NFL draft, but Neil Pau’u (603 yards) and Gunner Romney (767) should be back to provide a security blanket.
With those three combining for 154 catches and freshman All-American tight end Isaac Rex coming up with 37 catches for 429 yards and 12 TDs, there wasn’t much playing time available anywhere else.
Still, receivers Kody Epps, Keanu Hill, Chris Jackson and Brayden Cosper should be back — Epps and Hill battled injuries throughout 2020 that kept them from contributing more — to add depth and explosiveness.
Matt Bushman is moving on to NFL draft preparations after missing the season with an Achilles injury.
Offensive line
A strength of the team last season, the offensive line will lose a lot of firepower, as left tackle Christensen, right tackle Chandon Herring, left guard Kieffer Longson and right guard Tristen Hoge will give the NFL a shot. Hoge made his departure apparent when he accepted a Hula Bowl invitation last week, and Herring has reportedly signed with an agent.
Center James Empey, a rising senior, most likely returns, after toying with the idea of joining fellow underclassmen Christensen in declaring early.
Christensen’s replacement at left tackle is probably junior Blake Freeland, the 6-foot-8, 300-pound behemoth from Herriman High who has played right tackle most of his first two seasons. Another 6-8 tackle, Harris LaChance, backed up Christensen and could slide over to the starting right tackle spot.
Keanu Saleapaga played in only one game due to injury. He started in 11 games in 2019, however, and will push for a spot in the starting five if he’s healthy in 2021.
Clark Barrington returns as the starting left guard, despite missing the last two games with an injury sustained in the Coastal Carolina game. Other potential starters are center Joe Tukuafu, Utah transfer Mo Unutoa, Connor Pay and Seth Willis.
Defensive line
All three starters were seniors — Khyiris Tonga, Zac Dawe and Bracken El-Bakri — and all three are expected to leave, most notably Tonga, a probable NFL draft pick. It was noted on Twitter Wednesday night that he has signed with the DEC Management Agency.
Another senior defensive lineman, grad student Uriah Leiataua, plans to return, he told the Deseret News last month.
Likely back are a half-dozen or so guys who’ve waited patiently for more playing time: walk-on Gabe Summers, rising sophomores Seleti Fevaleaki, Tyler Batty, Caden Haws and juniors Alden Tofa, Earl Tuioti-Mariner and a couple players who missed the season due to injury: Atunaisa Mahe and Lorenzo Fauatea.
Sitake has worked hard to build depth in the trenches, so the losses of Tonga, Dawe and El-Bakri should be absorbed by the likes of Hirkley Latu, Freddy Livai and others.
Linebackers
Senior leader Isaiah Kaufusi has been a mainstay at LB for BYU the past three to four years and will be missed if he departs. He said after the bowl game he is “leaning” toward leaving. Two-way player Kavika Fonua probably also moves on.
“I can’t really say yet,” Fonua said before the bowl game, noting he will seek advice from his brother-in-law, former Utah RB Karl Williams, before deciding.
Rising junior Keenan Pili, the Boca Raton Bowl defensive MVP, was BYU’s second-leading tackler (behind Kaufusi) with 72 stops and will anchor the linebacking corps in 2021. Juniors Max Tooley, Payton Wilgar, Drew Jensen and Navy transfer Pepe Tanuvasa should ensure the unit remains the strength of the defense for years to come.
Chaz Ah You and Ben Bywater return from injuries and should push for starting roles, either at LB or in the secondary, in Ah You’s case. Josh Wilson, Zach’s brother, picked up valuable experience in blowouts and improved greatly as the season progressed, coaches say.
Secondary
Senior cornerback Chris Wilcox signed with an agency, opted out of the bowl game, and is for sure gone. Senior safeties Troy Warner and Zayne Anderson have indicated they, too, are moving on. Anderson has accepted an invitation to play in the Hula Bowl.
Another senior, walk-on Jared Kapisi, carved out a role for himself the second half of the season and could possibly return if the situation is right.
Hard-hitting, athletic rising junior George Udo missed the bowl game for undisclosed reasons, and his future in the program is uncertain.
Freshman Micah Harper emerged as the best cover corner; D’Angelo Mandell, Keenan Ellis, Isaiah Herron, Shamon Willis and Caleb Christensen are also in the running to replace Wilcox on the other side.
JUCO transfer Jacques Wilson, injured in 2020, should make his debut in the secondary.
At safety, the rebuilding project begins with Malik Moore, Morgan Pyper, Matt Criddle, Tevita Gagnier and Hayden Livingston in the mix to fill the shoes of Warner and Anderson.
Special teams
Jake Oldroyd bounced back from a so-so season in 2019 with a spectacular one in 2020, making every field goal he attempted to vault into finalist consideration for the Lou Groza Award and earning third-team All-America honors. He’s got the chance to be the best kicker in school history if he keeps it up the next two years.
Punter Ryan Rehkow only got 28 opportunities, but made the most of them with a 45.1 average. He’s got three more years in Provo, if he wants them, before a likely shot at the NFL. He’s that good.
Caleb Christensen was fearless on kick returns, while walk-on Talmage Gunther emerged as the punt returner, all while making BYU fans hold their breath with a couple bobbles here and there.