Kalani Sitake and the BYU football program will begin fall training in just five days.
Here are the key position battles to watch at fall camp.
1. All eyes on the quarterback battle
This season will showcase BYU’s most competitive quarterback competition since Jake Heaps and Riley Nelson faced off in 2010.
All eyes will be on the quarterback competition until the starting quarterback is announced. Aaron Roderick picked two guys to contend for the starting spot at the start of spring camp: Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon. The competition between those two has lasted into the summer and will be resolved during fall camp.
During Big 12 Media Days, Kalani discussed four quarterbacks: Jake Retzlaff, Gerry Bohanon, Treyson Bourguet, and McCae Hillstead. Hillstead joined the room after Spring training as a transfer from Utah State.
Could Bourguet or Hillstead change the two-way contest for the starting spot into a three-way one? Maybe. At this moment, it would be remarkable if Retzlaff or Bohanon did not start in Week 1.
Every spot on the quarterback depth chart is up for grabs.
2. Who will be the best option at right tackle?
The starting tackle position is wide open. Caleb Etienne and Colorado transfer Isaiah Jatta appear to be in a two-way contest. Etienne has the size and talent to be a dominant tackle, but he was a significant liability in 2023. Perhaps a complete summer at BYU, along with a new offensive line coach in TJ Woods, would help Etienne get back on track.
Isaiah Jatta is another outstanding lineman who struggled to establish his feet at Colorado. When Jatta approached the transfer portal earlier this year, he chose BYU over USC. If Jatta can learn the playbook, he has the skill to defeat Etienne.
3. Who starts opposite of Jakob Robinson?
Jakob Robinson is a starter at cornerback for BYU. The starting position opposite Robinson is up for grabs. Weber State Transfer With his experience, Marque Collins should be considered a frontrunner. Mory Bamba started against TCU while BYU was dealing with injuries at cornerback and will fight for the position.
Then there are young players like Marcus McKenzie and Therrian Alexander. These two could be the future cornerbacks. It would be fantastic for the future of BYU’s defense if one of those two could prove capable of starting as early as this season.
Jonathan Kabeya is a candidate to enter the field as a true freshman. He has a college-ready frame if he can understand the game plan.
4. There’s a logjam at safety
No depth chart on the roster is more complicated than the safety position. There are veterans with experience, young players with talent, and five or six men that played in 2023. There is a big list of players vying for both the free and strong safety positions.
Micah Harper is most likely to start now that he is well. Harper suffered a season-ending knee injury that sidelined him for the whole 2023 season. Talan Alfrey also missed much of the season due to injuries. He is another name to keep an eye on.
In 2023, the majority of snaps were played by Ethan Slade, Tanner Wall, Crew Wakley, Raider Damuni, and Preston Rex. They will also compete for slots. Damuni has lost 10 pounds and will attempt to play with greater speed.
Thomas Prassas, a true freshman, participated in spring camp and hopes to make the depth chart.
Then there’s the true freshman, Faletau Satuala. Satuala will be one of the most talented players on the BYU team. If he can demonstrate that he will avoid major missed assignments as a true freshman, he will be too talented to stay away from the field.
5. Three-way race for the backup running back job
If he is healthy, LJ Martin will be the starting running back. The race for the backup job is wide open. It looks like a three-way race between Miles Davis, Hinckley Ropati, and true freshman Pokaia Haunga.
Health is the biggest question mark for everyone in this room.
6. Who is Available at Linebacker?
Injury concerns linger around two expected contributors at linebacker: Ben Bywater and Siale Esera. Both Bywater and Esera missed the last half of the 2023 season due to injury and did not participate in Spring camp.
If Bywater misses time, it will open a starting spot. If Esera misses time, that will open up another spot, although defensive coordinator Jay Hill said he expected Esera back for Fall camp. A lot of names will factor in at linebacker, namely Jack Kelly, Ace Kaufusi, Siale Esera, Harrison Taggart, and Choe Bryant-Strother.
7. Will a freshman emerge at tight end?
Converted wide receiver Keanu Hill has put on 25 pounds to compete for the starting job at tight end. He will factor in as a receiving tight end, though it remains to be seen if his blocking can translate to the tight end position.
There’s two former four-star recruits that will be two of the top players to follow in camp. Jackson Bowers redshirted in 2023, this could be the year he breaks into the rotation. Ryner Swanson, who signed with BYU back in December, is enrolled and will compete in camp. Swanson is supremely talented and could win the job as a true freshman. Swanson was our top pick to be the next freshman phenom at BYU.
Mason Fakahua, Ray Paulo, Ethan Erickson, and Mata’ava Ta’ase played sparingly in 2023. They will be competing for a spot on the depth chart as well.
