More than a dozen football players who plan to represent the Cougars on the gridiron this fall will have already graduated from BYU.
That's just one of the findings from the school's list of 87 student-athlete graduates that was released to the public on Friday. Other 2024 BYU football players, such as quarterback Gerry Bohanon (South Florida) will compete for the Cougars having earned their degrees at other schools.
BYU's 87 student-athlete graduates were honored at a senior banquet Wednesday night and went through graduation ceremonies Thursday and Friday in Provo. All of the student-athletes had a graduation date ranging from December 2023 to August 2024.
Several, such as women's basketball player Kaylee Smiler, have earned post-graduate degrees. Smiler earned a master's degree in biology.
There's the usual high number of graduates in exercise and wellness, but also some in disciplines such as wildlife and wetlands conservation, construction and facilities management, and microbiology.
"Brigham Young University's 2024 student-athlete graduates demonstrate that despite the significant changes in college sports, there remains a symbiotic relationship between institutions of higher learning and college athletics," said Trevor Wilson, senior associate athletic director for student-athlete ecosystem, in a school news release.
"At BYU, our student-athletes embrace the expectation to follow our mission statement: 'Build a distinctive, exceptional, athletic program … by developing successful, faith-based, influential scholar-athlete leaders.' The 2024 BYU student-athlete graduates truly exemplify our mission. They represent everything that is good about college athletics, BYU and Cougar Nation."
All told, 19 football players have, or will have, received their degrees in this cycle. Last year, there were 24.
Among the graduates who will play this fall are defensive ends Tyler Batty and Isaiah Bagnah, defensive backs Micah Harper, Tanner Wall and Mory Bamba, linebacker Ben Bywater, running backs Mason Fakahua and Miles Davis, receiver Kody Epps and tight end Keanu Hill.
Epps and Harper have announced via social media that they have been accepted into the MBA program in BYU's Marriott School of Business, which is quite an accomplishment.
Bryce Robinson, Exercise and Wellness
Boston Mabeus, Communications
Brock Watkins, Exercise and Wellness
Tredyn Christensen, Exercise and Wellness
Aly Khalifa, History
Jaxson Robinson, Communications
Trey Stewart, Psychology
Noah Waterman, Communications
Arielle Mackey-Williams, Communications
Kaylee Smiler, Biology (master's degree)
Isaiah Bagnah, Sociology
Mory Bamba, Business Management
Tyler Batty, Communications
Ben Bywater, Finance
Caleb Christensen, Communications
Miles Davis, Family Life
Kody Epps, Business Management
Mason Fakahua, Family Life
Kamden Garrett, Business Management
Talmage Gunther, Finance
Micah Harper, Business Management
Keanu Hill, Exercise and Wellness
Donovan Hanna, Political Science
Caden Haws, Exercise and Wellness
Fisher Jackson, Construction and Facilities Management
Atunaisa Mahe, Experience Design and Management
Tanner Wall, Finance
Josh Wilson, Construction Management
Seth Willis, Communications Studies
Cole Ponich, Psychology
Brock Goyen, Communications
Keanu Akina, Entrepreneurial Management
Anyssa Alvarado, Psychology
Lindsey Hunter-Kempler, Art
Lauren Ono, Psychology
Zoe Jacobs, Sociology
Olivia Wade-Katoa, Psychology
Rachel McCarthy, Psychology
Jamie Shepherd, Family Studies
Olivia Smith-Griffiths, Experience Design and Management
Lyti Akinaka, Marketing
Huntyr Ava, Family Life
Maddie Bejarano, Communications
Taryn Lennon, Communications
Macy Simmons, Psychology
Chloe Temples, Microbiology
Addison Richards, Psychology
Liza Slade, Neuroscience
Men's swim and dive — 3
Brigham Harrison, Neuroscience
Brad Prolo, Information Systems
Tama Tuitama, Global Supply Chain Management
Helen Jiao, Accounting
Emile Astle, Exercise and Wellness
Kara Wheatley, Global Supply Chain Management
Jack Barnett, Psychology
Cierra Allphin, Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation
Lauren Elsworth Barnes, Nursing
Kathryn Bingham, Communications
Maddy Eaton, Exercise and Wellness
Alena Ellsworth, Nursing
Destiny Everett, Exercise and Wellness
Nicole Freestone, Exercise Science
Aubrey Frentheway, Mathematics Education
Anna Hart, Communications
Gretchen Hoekstre, Exercise and Wellness
Lindsey Middleton, Exercise and Wellness
Elizabeth Parkinson, Computer Science
Dolita Shaw, Communications
Julie Sumsion, Exercise and Wellness
Allison Warner, Family Life
Nathan Burnett, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Abram Schaap, Exercise and Wellness
Chase Clement, Molecular Biology
Casey Clinger, Business Management
Whitney Bower, Exercise and Wellness
Morgan Clinger, Exercise and Wellness
Kupono Browne, Psychology
Gavin Julien, Public Health
Daniel Standring, Microbiology
Lauren Billings Gambill, Exercise Science
Elise Bagley, Global Suppy Chain Management
Trinity Sanson, Exercise Design Management
Evan Carter, Geography
Hannah Moore, Exercise and Wellness
Stephen Tveten, Computer Science
Jacob Wengler, Biophysics
Alexa Frost, Exercise and Wellness
Cameron Wingrove, Strategic Management
Graduates line up for processional prior to BYU commencement exercises held in the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Thursday, April 25, 2024. This year BYU conferred roughly 7,000 degrees. | BYU photo
