David Nixon survived four fall camps at BYU and finished his career with 275 tackles at linebacker, including a Mountain West Conference record 43 tackles for loss in 2008.
Following his church mission, Nixon led a defense that won 32 games over a three-year period (2006-08). After BYU, he spent NFL seasons with the Raiders, Texans and Rams (twice). Watching the Cougars report to camp takes him back to those youthful years as a Texas teenager, who grew up in College Station eating, drinking and sleeping football.
“It gives me goosebumps! I’m excited for this season. Last year, this BYU team had a chip on their shoulder. Nobody picked them to be in the top half of the Big 12,” Nixon told the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “This year, after what happened with Jake (Retzlaff), people started counting (them) out again, so I love this position BYU is sitting in right now, where they are kind of being counted out and written off.
“I love that they are the underdogs. For me, that’s the story going into camp. Can this BYU team do what they did last year — channel that frustration where there is no respect and go out there and prove the world wrong. I think that’s where the opportunity lies for this team. When you look at all the guys returning and all the guys they added, it’s an exciting time heading into this football season.”
As the longtime BYUtv football analyst looks at the first week of fall practice in 2025, he sees five unanswered questions.
5) QB battle
“We already know it’s an obvious storyline so I’m putting it at five,” Nixon said. “Normally, it would be No. 1 but it’s already so front and center we are going to put it at five and be done with it.”
4) Linebackers
“With Harrison Taggart’s departure, who becomes the signal caller in the middle linebacker position? Siale Esera is the front runner, but Miles Hall played in seven games last year. Who emerges there? The middle linebacker, traditionally, is the guy who is making the calls and getting the defense set up. I like Esera, but can someone give him a run for his money? I think that’s where Hall comes into play.”
3) Secondary
“Losing Jakob Robinson (to the 49ers), who fills in for him? You need a lockdown corner. You need to be able to put your best dude on their best dude. Mory Bamba, Evan Johnson, Tre Alexander are names that come to mind. You take out Marque Collins and Jakob Robinson, who are going to be the guys to step up?”
2) Running backs
“It’s all about finding a 1,000-yard rusher. BYU hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Tyler Allgeier in 2021. When you have inexperienced quarterbacks, you need someone who can take the load off their shoulders. The easiest way to do that is with a dominant running game and that’s where LJ (Martin) and (Sione) Moa have to step up.”
1) Defensive line
“BYU was one of the worst in the country in sacks per game (last year) and they need to find more production there. They create pressure to create turnovers, but for me, it’s about getting home.
“Quarterback hurries are great, but you have to find a way to get home and get them on the ground. As we know, second-and-17 is much more difficult than second-and-10. It shrinks that playbook.”
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com