Kalani Sitake and his BYU football coaching staff have several priorities in mind as the Cougars begin the first of 15 spring practices later this week.
"Last year, there was a chip on our shoulder because nobody thought we were any good. We are not sneaking up on anyone this time. We will have a target on our backs."
Namely, the staff wants to develop its young players, especially those who will be expected to play roles on the team when it lines up for real on Aug. 30 against Portland State .
In the words of offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, "priority No. 2 is sorting out the backup quarterback situation," although the OC stresses that QB1 Jake Retzlaff is the unquestioned starter going into the 2025 season, after the rising senior led the Cougars to an 11-2 record and Alamo Bowl win over Colorado last year.
Identifying the candidates to become Retzlaff's backup is easy, because only two other guys will be in camp : redshirt sophomore McCae Hillstead and junior Treyson Bourguet , transfers from Utah State and Western Michigan, respectively.
Roderick said because of the new roster limitation rules, BYU will carry only three QBs this spring, then add Bountiful High's Emerson Geilman in the fall. Among those on the roster last fall, Gerry Bohanon ran out of eligibility, Noah Lugo transferred to UTSA, and walk-on Cole Hagen will shelve his pads but remain in school at BYU.
"He is going to graduate and move on," Roderick said of the brother of scholarship receiver Cody Hagen.
More on the quarterback situation later, including the lofty expectations Roderick has for Retzlaff.
Another priority, and perhaps the most significant of all during camp, according to the coaches, is less tangible. The Cougars must deal with heightened expectations after finishing in a four-way tie atop the Big 12 standings in 2023.
Expectations haven't been this high for the program since 2020, when Zach Wilson was entering his third year in the program. It will not be a shocker if BYU is in the top 15 when the AP Top 25 preseason rankings are released in August.
"Last year, there was a chip on our shoulder because nobody thought we were any good," Roderick said in an exclusive interview with the Deseret News last week. "We are not sneaking up on anyone this time. We will have a target on our backs."
Four teams the Cougars beat last year — Colorado, Arizona , Utah and UCF — will obviously be out for revenge; BYU opens Big 12 play Sept. 27 at Colorado against Coach Prime and company.
"We are going to get everybody's best every week this year, and I have learned from experience in my coaching career that it is harder to stay on top than it is to make that climb to get up there," Roderick said. "We are going to have to really double down on our team culture that Kalani expects of us, and improve our execution overall. I am really proud of what we did last year, but that doesn't mean anything for this season. We've got to keep improving every day."
That improvement will have to come during practices, because BYU once again will not have a spring game. The annual alumni game is scheduled for March 28, while the final spring practice is March 29.
Other teams not expected to have a spring game include Ohio State, Texas , Nebraska and Missouri . Roderick said more and more programs are joining the trend that BYU has been following for years. He said reasons for not having one include getting in one more good practice, avoiding injuries to key players, and keeping future opponents from having more game film to study.
Also, he said, the transfer portal has caused a change in thinking.
"With all the research that people are putting into players on other teams' rosters, why give other teams one more chance to see how your younger players are developing?" he said. "Why put a spring game on TV and show some redshirt freshman that didn't play a lot last year and all of a sudden looks really good to a team that needs somebody at his position? Like, why would you put those guys out there to be evaluated one second before you have to in a real game? That is a part of it that is real now that was not part of the equation in the past."
One positive to BYU starting spring practices earlier than most programs, Roderick said, is that it gives players who are injured in the spring more time to heal, provided those injuries aren't major, such as an ACL tear.
Here are more highlights from our chat with the offensive coordinator.
Senior receiver Darius Lassiter is the big name here, as the former Eastern Michigan transfer awaits a ruling on his eligibility from the NCAA (or a legal body, as was the case with Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia ). As of Monday afternoon, Lassiter's future was unknown.
"We are still waiting on these lawsuits and rulings from the NCAA. If it goes his way, my understanding is that he would like to come back," Roderick said. "I haven't talked to him for a while, but last I heard he didn't have an agent yet or anything like that. He is doing that intentionally to leave the door open. He is preparing for the NFL with the hopes that he could still return if it goes his way."
BYU receiver Darius Lassiter celebrates a first down in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Lassiter's status is still up in the air heading into spring camp. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Transfers such as Utah's Keanu Tanuvasa, Texas' Tausili Akana, Southern Utah's Kyle Sfarcioc and Utah's Carsen Ryan have enrolled and will be in camp, Roderick said. Michigan transfer offensive lineman Andrew Gentry is coming off a lisfranc foot injury and likely won't do much in March.
"Andrew is close, and he is doing a lot of things, but he is not quite going to be ready for spring," Roderick said. "We feel like he's played some good football, and there is so much film on him from what he did at Michigan. He wasn't an every game, every down starter, but he did start games and play a lot of football. We feel like we know who he is."
Among the high school prospects who signed last December , tight end Tucker Kelleher and offensive lineman Andrew Williams will be in spring camp.
"I am psyched about Andrew Williams, and Ethan Thomason, who just got off his mission. We lose Brayden Keim and Caleb Etienne, and we get two guys who are just as big as those guys, and look just like them," Roderick said. "They have to learn how to play, and they are a long ways away. But the body types are there. We just replaced two giants with two more giants. It is pretty cool. Those guys move really well and they look like they are going to be players for us down the road."
With only three QBs in camp, handing out reps won't be as big of an issue as it was last year, when there were nine guys wearing the green jerseys signifying they are off-limits to getting hit.
"First of all, Jake will get a lot of work, yes," Roderick said. "He is going to take a ton of reps, and I expect him to take a big step forward again."
Roderick said he's challenged Retzlaff to bump his completion percentage to 70% (it was 58% last year) and his passing touchdowns total to 30 (from 20 in 2024).
"We need to throw more completions, and still be in single digits in interceptions (Retzlaff threw nine picks last year)," Roderick said. "I feel like if we do those, we will be good. Those are winning numbers. I'm also looking for better accuracy, better decision-making. We feel like those things are going to help us move the ball better and score more points."
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff throws during the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. BYU won 36-14. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
One quarterback/athlete that BYU signed in December , Nolan Keeney of Tualatin, Oregon, will go on a church mission before enrolling.
"There have been some hurt feelings, just telling guys we could only have no more than four quarterbacks now with the roster limitations being put into place," Roderick said. "It's a really tough deal. … We go 11-2 and we have a lot of good players, but we had to have cuts after the season at just about every position on the team. And there will be more. After spring ball, there will have to be more to get it down to 105."
That Utah transfer Ryan will be in camp is a big deal, because BYU sorely needs an experienced tight end in 2025 after Jackson Bowers transferred to Oregon State, Ryner Swanson departed on a mission and three guys graduated.
"Carsen Ryan looks great so far," Roderick said. "I expect him to be a starter and play a lot. … He is a veteran player, but we gotta get him developed in our offense and playing comfortably playing in our offense."
The OC said senior Ethan Erickson , who has been in the program since 2021, is "healthy again" and will challenge for playing time.
Utah tight end Carsen Ryan in the first half during a game against Arizona State, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. Ryan signed with BYU after entering the transfer portal and could be a big contributor for the Cougars in 2025. | Rick Scuteri, Associated Press
"Every time he's played in games for us, he has played well," Roderick said. "I am very hopeful that this can be his year. He was playing good football last year before his injury."
Other possible tight ends are Noah Moeaki and Anthony Olsen, a walk-on.
Another objective for the offense will be developing young receivers Tei Nacua, Cody Hagen and Dominique McKenzie, Roderick said.
"There are guys that were close to helping us last year that need to take the next step," he said, referring to Hagen and Nacua, brother of Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua .
For the second-straight offseason, BYU didn't bring in a big-time running back. It is a sign that the Cougars are high on LJ Martin , which they should be. The rising junior from El Paso, Texas, will be used lightly in spring camp, because he's a proven commodity.
"He really played well in that bowl game. He had a great season. He missed a few games there in the middle of the year. But boy, he reminded us in Game 1, and then when he came back from injury, what a good player he is, and what he means to our offense," Roderick said. "He breaks tackles, he is a good receiver. He is just a great leader. He brings a great mentality and a great toughness. He is one of our best players, for sure."
Miles Davis hit the transfer portal, landing at Utah State. Expect the two rising sophomores, Pokai Haunga and Sione I. Moa, to battle for the RB2 spot, along with perhaps Enoch Nawahine and Jovesa Damuni.
"For the offense, a big thing will be bringing along those young guys, and then taking the next step with our overall execution," Roderick said. "I think we were top 10 in the most improved offenses in the country last year in scoring. I believe we were the most improved run game in the country last year.
"We scored 31.3 points per game. We would like to go another six points a game better next year. If we do, that's going to put us at the top and probably top 10 in the country," he continued. "That is our goal. If every guy just gets a little bit better, and every guy steps their game up a little bit, then the collective improvement should show up on the scoreboard. So that's what we are looking for — for every man to improve."
BYU running back LJ Martin runs against the Colorado Buffaloes during the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
