PROVO — It seemed like a major coup for BYU when Utah running back Devonta’e Henry-Cole signed with the Cougars as a grad transfer last winter.
But after spending a considerable part of the offseason working out with the BYU team, Henry-Cole decided to transfer to Utah State in late July. That seemed like a blow to the Cougar backfield.
Yet as far as BYU coach Kalani Sitake is concerned, the running backs will be “fine” without Henry-Cole.
“We’re going to play with the guys that are here. He was here during our (player-run practices), he was here during our workouts and stuff,” Sitake said after the team’s first practice Tuesday. “He knows how good we are at our running back corps. I think we’re going to be fine.”
Sitake then praised the group that will be carrying the ball for BYU — 6-1, 210-pound junior Lopini Katoa, sophomore Tyler Allgeier (5-11, 220), redshirt freshman Jackson McChesney (6-0, 205) and sophomore Sione Finau (5-11, 185), who has been working his way back from a knee injury.
Also in the mix, Sitake said, are freshman Bruce Garrett (5-10, 195) and redshirt freshmen Javelle Brown (6-1, 187) and Luc Andrada (5-10, 175). Brown has been a defensive back and Andrada has played wide receiver.
“I love the group. Lopini, this has been a really good offseason for him (and) Tyler Allgeier. Jackson McChesney has got the rust off those mission legs now. He’s flying around like he did when he was at Lone Peak (High),” Sitake said. “It’s a good group. Sione Finau is getting healthy and getting ready to go. We have Bruce Garrett, a freshman that’s doing some good things, too. Javelle Brown we put there and he’s looking good. Luc Andrada got some reps at running back today and he looks really fast. It’s a deep group, a lot of talent and a lot of experience. We’re really excited about that group.”
Katoa rushed 85 times for 358 yards and a team-high four touchdowns last season. Finau finished the 2019 season with a team-high 359 yards but suffered a season-ending knee injury during a practice in November.
McChesney rushed for 274 yards as a freshman — with 228 of those yards coming on 15 carries in BYU’s win over UMass days after Finau’s injury. That performance broke the freshman record at BYU for single-game rushing and it was the sixth-best all-time rushing performance in school history.
Allgeier ran for 119 yards last season, though he switched back-and-forth from running back to linebacker.