Some season-ending or longterm injuries hurt a football team more than others.
In the case of BYU receiver JoJo Phillips, who announced Monday night on social media that he had surgery and “will be back soon” after sustaining an undisclosed upper-body injury in the first half of BYU’s 27-3 win over Stanford last Saturday, this one is rather painful.
It will be difficult for BYU’s offense to overcome, but not impossible.
A redshirt sophomore, Phillips was expected to have a breakout season in 2025, although he was off to an unremarkable start — no catches against Portland State and three catches for 30 yards against Stanford. He was targeted seven times in the Stanford game, a sign that he was a big part of the BYU game plan.
“If we keep getting over 100 rushing yards per game from LJ, and no turnovers, we are going to be hard to beat. That’s where everything starts for us, is just get (Martin) going, get the run game going.”
— BYU OC Aaron Roderick
As the season dawned, the Cougars figured they could not afford to lose any experienced offensive weapons while breaking in freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier this season, so the loss of Phillips is significant no matter how you slice it. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound receiver is one of the few players on the roster with the ability to take the top off defenses, make explosive plays.
Bachmeier and the Cougars will miss him.
So will senior receiver Chase Roberts, who can expect more double teams than before.
Head coach Kalani Sitake said Monday that Phillips will be out for “some time” but that it was not expected to be season-ending. That the injury required surgery probably means it will take more time to heal, thus keeping Phillips out for more than just a couple of games.
Phillips is not the most indispensable player on Aaron Roderick’s offense. That would be junior running back LJ Martin, followed closely by Roberts and then senior tight end Carsen Ryan. Roberts has six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Ryan has five catches for 83 yards and a TD.
Bachmeier has been solid, but not sensational, while being brought along slowly. Martin has been the clearcut offensive MVP with 241 yards on 26 carries.
BYU’s offensive line has done OK without its most experienced player, but could have done a better job keeping Bachmeier upright against the Cardinal.
Left guard Weylin Lapuaho, who has 38 career starts (25 at BYU, 13 at Utah State) has missed the first two games but is due back next week for East Carolina. However, BYU’s two most indispensable offensive linemen from the view here are Isaiah Jatta and Andrew Gentry, the starting left and right tackles, respectively.
“If we keep getting over 100 rushing yards per game from LJ, and no turnovers, we are going to be hard to beat,” Roderick said Monday on his “Coordinators’ Corner” program. “That’s where everything starts for us, is just get (Martin) going, get the run game going. Then our passing game opens up. We are a tough team to beat if we do those things.”
Regarding Ryan’s play, which has been as good as advertised from the former UCLA and University of Utah tight end, Roderick said the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder’s versatility stands out.
“He is an every down player,” Roderick said. “… He is out there doing the dirty work. He is an offensive lineman (size) that can run routes and catch the ball.”
In light of the Phillips injury, other tight ends such as Noah Moeaki, Keayen Nead and the oft-injured Ethan Erickson could see more work.
“Whatever role I can take to help the team be better is what I am all about,” said Moeaki, who caught a touchdown pass against Portland State. “That is really the only goal for all of us — do what we can to help the team win.”
Redshirt freshman Tei Nacua is listed as Phillips’ backup on BYU’s depth chart, but hasn’t seen action yet as he dealt with a concussion and then a hamstring injury in August. The Timpview High product is the younger brother of Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua and Samson Nacua of the UFL’s Michigan Panthers.
“There’s definitely a lot of pressure on my shoulders, especially with pretty much all my brothers coming through this program. So, I am just trying to step up to the plate and execute like all my brothers did and how everyone knows what a Nacua can do. So that’s my plan,” Tei Nacua said in an early August interview.
Parker Kingston has caught four passes for 12 yards, and will also be needed to step up his game and overcome some recent frustration. The redshirt junior from Roy High had a touchdown run called back by a penalty against Stanford, dropped a short pass, and has fumbled twice as a punt returner.
“Some (guys) were not catching the ball (against Stanford),” said head coach Kalani Sitake, when asked about the lack of scoring touchdowns in the red zone. “It is stuff that we can fix. We know what the problems are. We know what the solutions are going to be. We will keep working on it.”
Sophomore Cody Hagen, listed as Roberts’ backup, has caught two passes for 35 yards, and rushed two times for 57 yards and a touchdown. Hagen and Tiger Bachmeier are the most likely candidates to be targeted more in Phillips’ absence.
Other possibilities are sophomore Reggie Frischknecht, who missed the PSU game with an undisclosed injury before suiting up for the Stanford game, but not playing. Redshirt freshman Dominique McKenzie, junior Rowan Reay and freshman Trey Roberts, brother of Chase Roberts, also made some plays in preseason training camp or the opener vs. the Vikings.
Freshman LaMason Waller III was making plays during camp before suffering an undisclosed injury that required surgery and put the Californian out for at least the first half of the season.
Sitake said Monday that the more comfortable Bachmeier gets with the offense, the better he will perform.
“I thought overall he had some great decision-making moments throughout the whole game,” Sitake said. “He knows he can lean on veteran receivers, a veteran O line and a veteran backfield.”
