BYU’s pro day, which will take place Friday at the school’s Indoor Practice Facility in Provo, is easily the most-anticipated gathering of former Cougars with designs on playing professional football in program history.
For that, they can thank superstar quarterback Zach Wilson, who is expected to be one of the first players taken in April’s NFL draft. Every team in the league has inquired about the three-year player since he declared early for the draft on Jan. 1, BYU coach Kalani Sitake told reporters Monday via Zoom.
Every team in the NFL, and several in the Canadian Football League, is expected to have at least one representative at BYU’s pro day, even surpassing the interest when running back Jamaal Williams was a hot item in 2017.
Wilson has been training in Southern California since a few days after leading the Cougars to a 49-23 win over Central Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 22, but returned to Utah on March 16 and has been training here and “hanging out with his family” while preparing for pro day, according to his brother Josh, a sophomore linebacker on the team.
The day is so important that the NFL Network will provide live coverage, starting at 10 a.m. MDT. BYU’s own BYUtv will also broadcast live from the IPF.
ESPN has also been granted access to the proceedings and will report live from the event; BYU will also give updates via its social media platforms, according to BYU football spokesperson Brett Pyne.
The NFL Network can be found on Channel 212 on DirecTV, Channel 191 on Dish Network, Channel 180 on Xfinity, Channel 88 on Verizon FiOS and Channel 96 on Spectrum.
It can also be found on streaming services such as YouTube TV and fuboTV.
BYUtv is Channel 11 in Utah, Channel 374 on DirecTV and Channel 4369 on Dish Network. It is also available on the BYUtv app.
“We make it a big priority for us to get our guys into the NFL. With some of the big development things we have been able to do in the past, it is good to see. … Hopefully this will be the biggest pro day to date, and hopefully it is even bigger next year and we just keep that thing rolling.” — BYU football coach Kalani Sitake
Josh Wilson, who is the backup middle linebacker on BYU’s two-deep chart, described life as a Wilson family member as “fun and exciting” the past few weeks.
“I think we are just enjoying the whole process. You could say it is all stressful and you are finally going to get a break. But I am having fun this spring ball and learning and obviously, Zach, I see him working hard.
“It is going to be exciting to see him throw and all that this pro day,” Josh Wilson continued. “It is a really exciting week and all that so yeah, I am just having fun with it.”
Josh said in addition to spending a lot of time with his family, Zach is “just grinding and stuff” and not letting up at all.
“Football is what he loves so he wouldn’t have it any other way,” Josh said. “He is just having fun. I got to hang out with him (last weekend). We can go shopping or go work out, or whatever.”
Is this the biggest pro day ever at BYU?
Sitake thinks so.
“We have always made pro day really important to our program, and we are trying to do everything we can to showcase our players’ talents,” he said. “Having these guys come out and run and be timed and do all those things for the scouts is going to be huge. And then having all the attention around Zach is bringing a lot more eyes to our program.”
Sitake said the emphasis is on taking care of the scouts and giving them as much information and film as they need.
“We make it a big priority for us to get our guys into the NFL,” Sitake said. “With some of the big development things we have been able to do in the past, it is good to see. … Hopefully this will be the biggest pro day to date, and hopefully it is even bigger next year and we just keep that thing rolling.”
Other players from the 2020 team that went 11-1 and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 poll who will participate include WR Dax Milne, TE Matt Bushman, OLs Brady Christensen, Chandon Herring and Tristen Hoge, DLs Zac Dawe, Bracken El-Bakri and Khyiris Tonga, linebackers Isaiah Kaufusi and Kavika Fonua and defensive backs Troy Warner, Zayne Anderson and Chris Wilcox.
Sitake is also allowing six former Cougars who did not have a pro day last year due to the pandemic a chance to show what they can do Friday. That group includes DBs Isaiah Armstrong, Beau Tanner and Austin Lee and WRs Aleva Hifo, Micah Simon and Batchlor Johnson.