If you lose your top three receivers, there should be panic, right?
BYU receivers coach and pass game coordinator Fesi Sitake has every right to mourn the loss of game-breaker Parker Kingston, third-down, big play machine Chase Roberts and stud tight end Carsen Ryan.
They were cogs, real dawgs in everything needed to help offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick carve out a 12-win season in 2025 with a freshman quarterback, Bear Bachmeier.
But on Friday, after BYU’s 13th session of spring football practice, Sitake is confident. He’s happy, and when describing his receiver room, he’s not blinking.
He’s seen enough.
“I can’t believe it’s almost done,” Sitake said of spring ball. “I think a lot of questions were answered, and there are still some that are left.
“I think that’s the most fulfilling part of spring, who is going to step up, because every year someone has to. Sometimes you lose a little more production than others, but I’ve been really happy on all fronts.”
That means Sitake is seeing some artwork from 6-foot-6 former 4-star recruit and Oregon transfer Kyler Kasper.
It means returning starter Jojo Phillips is healthy and elevated.
It means returning journeymen Cody Hagen and Tei Nacua are stepping up with Tiger Bachmeier and Reggie Frischknecht.
It means he has seen what he wants in freshmen Legend Glasker, Jaren Pula and Terrance Saryon.
In other words, he has a lot of choices, a lot of flexibility, and there is talent.
“I’m optimistic about it,” Sitake said about the loss of his big trio. “We all knew those were going to be big shoes to fill. It’s a huge void. Carsen, Parker and Chase accounted for probably 90 percent of our perimeter production.”
But after 13 practices, Sitake declared, “We’re very confident that the next guys will be ready.”
The other element that gives offensive coaches optimism is the addition of two veteran, experienced leaders at tight end in USC transfer Walker Lyons and Oregon transfer Roger Saleapaga.
“They are huge pieces,” Sitake said. “Some people can look at it like, ‘Oh, its competition between personnel (wide receivers and tight ends), but it’s not.
“We’ve got to open up stuff for them and they are going to open stuff up for us. The better players we have, the more of a problem it’s going to be for defenses. Those two have had an awesome spring.”
Roderick told reporters on Friday that injecting the two guys from USC and Oregon is a big deal.
“They’ve played a lot of football,” Roderick said. “They know what practice is supposed to be like, what meetings are supposed to be like.
“Roger, Walker and Kyler are already leaders in our program. They lead by example every day while they are learning what to do.”
Roderick said Phillips has also taken a big step forward in spring.
“That injury he had last year was pretty serious,” Roderick said. “We don’t talk about details, but it was a tough injury, and it hurt his confidence and it took him some time to get back.
“Then there was the bowl game, and it was like, ‘OK, that’s the Jojo we’ve been expecting. I’ve seen growth in him this spring, and Kasper is everything I thought he was going to be up to this point.”
With returning young players and the arrival of talent such as Pula, Glasker and Saryon, it could be tough to keep everyone happy and motivated to stay plugged in and competitive.
“That’s always a challenge,” Sitake said. “They’re fresh off of being the best players on their teams, but each of them has gotten different doses of playing time and experience. Some are picking up the playbook faster than others. It’s hard to avoid comparison amongst each other because they’re all on the same timeline.
“They are all early (high school) graduates, they’re all true freshmen trying to carve their way into a rotation, so every day, in my message, I try to tell them don’t. Comparison is the thief of joy, so keep your head down, focus on yourself and where you’re at, and as long as you’re on the upward trajectory every day, then that’s what I’m looking for. All of them are going to be awesome talents here in the days to come, and there will be some that will get some great action this fall, too.”
BYU’s spring practice winds down this coming week with an alumni game on Friday. So far, Sitake has kept his crew healthy, and they have him smiling.