Breaking: BYU Football Position Battles

The Cougars will begin fall camp in approximately a month from today.

BYU Football hopes to start their revenge tour for its second season in the Big 12. The Cougars will begin fall camp with lots of questions to address before their game against Southern Illinois on August 31st. This article will cover position battles, what to anticipate from the Cougars, and information on the new coaches.

BYU Football Expectations

Offense

This will be an up-and-coming group for the Cougars. With a new quarterback comes a squad of running backs that are eager to prove what they are capable of. The tight ends are out for vengeance after not seeing much action last season, and the offensive line is strong under a new coach and Connor Pay. BYU must have a strong offense to win games. The Cougars want to start strong and not give up, which is where they struggled last season. They would get into a groove and believe they had the victory, but then slack up, giving the opposing team more gasoline to their fire.

Defense

The defense was sturdy until injuries happened, at which point it collapsed completely. It hurt to be down leaders who attempted to lead from the sidelines. This year, they will fight tooth and nail to win games. Ben Bywater and Tyler Batty are prepared to lead the defense and keep BYU in games. They did that last year, but they lacked the offensive support to keep them off the field.

Special Teams

This component of the squad has always been solid and will continue to be so regardless of who is on it. BYU will need to find a punter now that their professional field flipper has left for the NFL. The return game needs to improve and provide the offense improved field position.

Overall

This team might be lethal if they can work together on and off the field. They must come in strong and not let up. They also cannot fall behind and work their way back; this is not their strong suit. The Cougars might win 7 or 8 games if they stick to their game plan, which should be solid on offense.

Record

The Cougars will go 8-5. Look for an article later on the schedule prediction for this season.

Position Battles

Quarterback Battle

This conflict is primarily between Retzlaff and Bohanon. Last season, at South Florida and BYU, these two demonstrated their potential. For the Cougar’s sake, it’s time to choose someone who isn’t a transfer and stays in the house. The transfer portal has only harmed BYU when it comes to quarterbacks who stay for a year or two. It’s time to start Retzlaff, so he can continue to work with the wide receivers and establish rapport with the offensive line. BYU should start him so that they can develop a Big 12-level squad.

Running Backs

The running backs have been in disarray since the Cougars brought in a slew of newcomers who don’t know or trust one another. BYU must remain loyal to those they recruited in high school. These students typically do not transfer but are well-versed in BYU’s operations and are eager to outperform everyone. The Cougars will rely on Miles Davis and LJ Martin at running back. These two have previously performed admirably and are eager to defend the blue.

Tight End

The tight ends are a revolving door of former wide receivers and potential greats. The only problem is that they aren’t being used since Aaron Roderick doesn’t seem to trust them. This is a concern because in order to win games in college, you must now use your tight ends. This season, the Cougars will need to rely on Keanu Hill, Jackson Bowers, and Ryner Swanson.

Coaching intros

TJ Woods OL/ run game coordinator

TJ Woods has coached since 2003. He began his playing career at Citrus Junior College in 1999, then transferred to Iowa State for a season before finishing up at Azusa Pacific in 2001-2002.

• Azusa Pacific GA 2003, TE 2004-2005
• Citrus College OL/ Run game coordinator 2006
• New Mexico GA OL 2007-2008
• Utah State TE, ST 2009-2010, OL 2011-2012, OL 2019
• Wisconsin OL 2013-2014
• Oregon State OL 2015, OL/TE Co-OC 2016, OL/ Run game coordinator 2017
• Western Kentucky OL 2018
• UNLV OL 2021, Co-OC/ OL 2022
• Georgia Southern OL and Run game coordinator 2023
• BYU Football OL and Run game coordinator 2024-present