BYU will honor 15 seniors Saturday who contributed to the football program and “who will be part of their last scheduled game in LaVell Edwards Stadium” when the Cougars host San Diego State at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean none of the 15 players who will receive their senior blankets in front of only their families — spectators won’t be allowed, due to COVID-19 restrictions — won’t be back next season. In August, the NCAA’s Board of Governors approved a measure that grants an extra year of eligibility to all fall sports athletes because seasons were canceled or shortened due to the pandemic, regardless of how many games were played.
So that means even though BYU will get in at least 11 games — barring a last-minute cancellation — any of the 15 are free to return as far as the NCAA is concerned. Whether BYU is on board with returns, and more importantly, is willing to pay for another year of tuition, books and fees, remains to be seen.
Like almost every school in the country, BYU faces a hefty budget shortfall. In the Cougars’ case, it is close to $20 million, athletic director Tom Holmoe said last month.
“I think a lot of the seniors (know that) they are given that year to come back and play. It is going to be up to them. I don’t think they have all decided for sure what is going to happen.” — BYU coach Kalani Sitake
“I think a lot of the seniors (know that) they are given that year to come back and play,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said Monday. “It is going to be up to them. I don’t think they have all decided for sure what is going to happen.”
Here are the 15 seniors on BYU’s list in its game notes for the SDSU game, a list that includes 10 defensive players and five offensive players: Zayne Anderson, Matt Bushman, Zac Dawe, Bracken El-Bakri, Kavika Fonua, Kyle Griffitts, Chandon Herring, Tristen Hoge, Jared Kapisi, Isaiah Kaufusi, Kieffer Longson, Khyiris Tonga, Jeddy Tuiloma, Troy Warner and Chris Wilcox.
Defensive end Uriah Leiataua, a senior who has played sparingly this season due to injury, said Tuesday he is not on the list because he plans to return next year.
Of course, a few underclassmen such as juniors Zach Wilson, Brady Christensen and Dax Milne may be playing in their final home games as well, depending on whether they opt to enter the NFL draft in April. Wilson, projected to be an early round draft pick, is almost certain to leave, while Milne and Christensen were noncommittal when asked about it Monday.
“Yeah, I still have a lot to figure out about all that stuff,” said Milne, who has gone from walk-on to a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. “So I just want to focus on this season and figure that out later.”
Said Christensen, a left tackle who is two years older than the average junior because he served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “I can’t say exactly what is going to happen as far as next year is concerned.”
He’s not alone. Uncertainty and last-minute cancellations have been the theme of the 2020 season. Tuesday, one of the marquee games of any year in college football, the Ohio State-Michigan game, was canceled due to an increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantined players in Michigan’s program.
Whatever happens, Sitake said, there’s an emphasis on sending the last-timers out on a positive note.
“We are excited to play the game and looking forward to sending these guys out with a W, and that’s a good way to focus the team back on what we are about,” he said as the Cougars try to rebound from last Saturday’s devastating 22-17 loss at Coastal Carolina that dashed their New Year’s Six bowl hopes. “There are a lot of individuals on the team who have sacrificed a lot and been here the longest. We are just trying to get our guys to perform at their best for them.”
Perhaps the most intriguing situation is that of tight end Bushman, who sustained a season-ending Achilles injury just before the Cougars crushed Navy 55-3 in the season opener back in early September. Bushman has not publicly said yet what he intends to do, but he could return on a medical hardship waiver in addition to the NCAA’s “free year” deal.
The Cougars’ other probable NFL draft prospect, nose tackle Tonga, said last month he was undecided and acknowledged the free year was tempting.
“I love being here,” he said.
To date, the only BYU senior who has said he is definitely moving on is cornerback Wilcox, who graduated last April.
Anderson, the senior safety who started his career way back in 2015 when Bronco Mendenhall was BYU’s coach and twice has received medical redshirts, said Monday he wants to continue playing football at some level despite sustaining more than his share of injuries since arriving in Provo.
“At the end of the day, my plan is to go to the NFL,” he said. “I told my coaches, at the end of the season, I will determine what my case is as far as coming back next year. So I am just taking it game by game and really trying to lock in these last few games and give it everything I have.”
Defensive lineman Dawe is taking a similar approach.
On behalf of all the seniors, Anderson expressed thanks to BYU’s administration for making it possible for this year’s senior class to play as many games as they have.
“I am grateful for my experiences here at BYU, and my coaches, my teammates, everyone who has made me a better person and a better football player,” Anderson said. “Whatever happens next, I am grateful for what has happened so far.”
At least 14 of his teammates would probably agree.
BYU’s 15 seniors to be honored Saturday night
• Zayne Anderson, defensive back, Stansbury Park, Utah
• Matt Bushman, tight end, Tucson, Arizona
• Zac Dawe, defensive lineman, Pleasant Grove, Utah
• Bracken El-Bakri, defensive lineman, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Kavika Fonua, linebacker, Syracuse, Utah
• Kyle Griffitts, tight end, Windermere, Florida
• Chandon Herring, offensive lineman, Gilbert, Arizona
• Tristen Hoge, offensive lineman, Pocatello, Idaho
• Jared Kapisi, defensive back, Pukalani, Hawai’i
• Isaiah Kaufusi, linebacker, Cottonwood Heights, Utah
• Kieffer Longson, offensive lineman, San Ramon, California
• Khyiris Tonga, defensive lineman, West Valley City, Utah
• Jeddy Tuiloma, defensive lineman, Topeka, Kansas
• Troy Warner, defensive back, San Marcos, California
• Chris Wilcox, defensive back, Fontana, California