What BYU coach Kalani Sitake said about, and to, his team when spring practices concluded last week

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What BYU coach Kalani Sitake said about, and to, his team when spring practices concluded last week

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake talks with members of the media after the opening day of BYU football spring camp held at the Zions Bank Practice Fields of the Student Athlete Building on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Jay Drew · Deseret News

Tue, Apr 1, 2025 ·

8 min read

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Over the course of the next four months, BYU 's football players — those that survive the roster cuts that are seemingly coming to every Football Bowl Subdivision school in the country — will largely be on their own now that spring practices have concluded in Provo.

The Cougars won't have head coach Kalani Sitake, coordinators Aaron Roderick, Jay Hill and Kelly Poppinga and their position coaches watching over them day and night, as has mostly been the case the past eight months.

But that doesn't mean nothing will be expected of them, Sitake said Friday after the last of 15 spring practices and before the annual alumni game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. In fact, it is just the opposite.

"We are going to transition now to summer conditioning," Sitake said, while noting that the next few weeks there will be plenty of discussions with every player on the current roster regarding their futures in the program, and how they are viewed by their position coaches.

He said during that conditioning, which will be overseen by the strength and conditioning staff, players will be given most of April off to focus on academics and finals, with graduation exercises taking place April 24-25.

"It is not like we will have a break and they can kick their feet up. They still have work to do. It is just that we are not going to do it as a team," Sitake said. "They can focus on getting their finals done, and finish up the semester, and then there is … a lot of time in the spring where people are getting married, so I will spend time doing those things, and by the time you know it we will be getting back to our mandatory conditioning (in May). So that is what we will get done."

Of course, players are free to conduct player-run-practices, or PRPs, which quarterback Jake Retzlaff and others said have already been planned.

As spring camp concluded, "I just asked them to continue what we started this spring, and with our player-run stuff, I think they can get a lot of that done," Sitake said. "They can just take ownership of it themselves."

Actually, under the guidance of director of football strength and conditioning Ryan Phillis , the Cougars have been hitting the weight room hard since early January.

"We are further ahead now than we were last year, in the weight room, and our test scores and everything that we are seeing from the strength gains and the bodies, and the muscle mass compared to the fat," Sitake said. "I think guys are in a much better place now."

That was evident in the media-viewing portions of spring camp; heading into their third season in the Big 12, the Cougars look the part of a bonafide Power Four team — at least physically.

Hill agreed with that assessment, saying coaches will get a few days off this week, which is mostly spring break for Utah schools, and then conduct "exit interviews with our current players" next week.

"Then the following week we are on the road recruiting, which is where we will be five or six weeks after that," Hill said. "Then we come back and we are in camps, like youth camps, high school camps, passing leagues, all that stuff, in June. And then July is our most mellow month to catch our breath and be ready for fall camp."

Perhaps Roderick best summed up what the message to the players was when the 15th spring practice wrapped up last week; BYU hasn't held a traditional open-to-the-public spring game or scrimmage for several years now.

"The message is, we have had a good spring, but we haven't done anything yet this season. Last year was a nice season, but we are not going to sneak up on anyone this year. Everybody knows (about us). We are going to have a target on our backs every week this year, being a team that had a good year last year," Roderick said.

"So we have to be extremely diligent and hungry to prove ourselves again. So everybody is (determined). There is nobody in our program that is going to feel like we've arrived, or anything like that. We are going to keep working hard throughout this spring and summer."

Wrapping up spring camp

One of the most encouraging developments coming out of spring camp was that the Cougars had a tough, physical, camp filled with plenty of real football-playing without suffering any major injuries . Some projected starters, such as Chase Roberts (shoulder), Weylin Lapuaho (elbow), Isaiah Glasker (undisclosed) and Andrew Gentry (foot) did not fully participate, but all should be fully ready this fall, Sitake said.

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff throws a pass during a spring practice on March 15, 2025 in Provo. | Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

"This year we have had a lot of 11-on-11 football and did a lot of live work. You get a little nervous about doing it, but if you want to get better at football that's what you gotta do is just practice football, and practice tackling, and being live," Sitake said. "There is a little bit of a stress behind all of it, but you know, I think overall we got through it with our health intact. Guys are banged up, but it is not going to be difficult to get them back. By the time we get ready to roll in May, they will be ready to roll."

Sitake said another positive development was that the scrimmages were not lopsided and one side did not dominate the other, as has been the case in past years.

"I can't say that one side won more than the other. I think it has been pretty even," he said. "… What I have seen from the team is everybody improving. I do like that everybody is understanding the scheme a lot more. We are seeing guys be able to lead, just in the same system, and understanding it a little bit more."

The coach said offensively the staff installed "some new things in there that I think will be beneficial for us getting to this fall," while on defense they worked on techniques, developing their pass rush and tackling.

"I think we were able to accomplish all that," he said. "We return a bunch of guys who have played a lot of reps in all three phases. I think that has been a huge benefit. So we have been able to do a few things that we normally wouldn't do with our ones and twos and that is add on to the scheme, but also put them in more situational stuff."

Which players stood out?

Sitake generally declines to single out individual players who stood out in camp, but did say the overall conditioning level of the team was impressive.

"They are not in the best shape right now, but they don't have to be," he said. "We just need to time it so we are working towards that when the season gets here."

0227fbccougars.spt — BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick talks on his handheld radio during the opening day of BYU football spring camp held at the Zions Bank Practice Fields of the Student Athlete Building on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Roderick said several times throughout camp that UCLA and Utah transfer tight end Carsen Ryan was as good as advertised, and the offensive coordinator repeated that statement Friday.

"We knew he was a good player, but didn't realize how good he was, really," Roderick said. "There was a lot of good film on him at UCLA and when he played at Utah. … But I thought he played even better this spring than maybe what I had seen on film. So, I am high on him. I thought he did a good job."

Roderick said offensive lineman Isaiah Jatta, who will play left tackle, and running back Pokaiaua Haunga had outstanding camps.

On defense, Hill noted that defensive back Jonathan Kabeya "stood out to me," along with defensive tackles John Taumoepeau and Josh Singh and edge rusher Ephraim Asiata.

"Probably unfair to answer that with (a lot of) names just because there could be 20 that I could list," Hill said.

The Deseret News will publish separate stories breaking down the offense, defense and special teams in the coming weeks, with projected post-spring depth charts.

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