Basketball has taken center stage at BYU this spring and summer, overshadowing Kalani Sitake’s football program. While Kevin Young has yet to coach a game, his stock is high. On the other hand, Sitake is under pressure to get the Cougars to a bowl game in the school’s second year in the Big 12.
Prognosticators are putting BYU near the bottom of the Big 12 in 2024, many predicting a four-win season. Will the Cougars have a second losing season in a row when the program has had only seven losing seasons since LaVell Edwards took the job in the early ‘70s? That’s a possibility. The lack of respect has some players seething, according to a report by Jay Drew.
BYU must have a QB stand up and make a huge difference on the field. This has always been a formula for success. Without it, BYU becomes average fast. Last year, the offensive line’s failure played a big part in BYU’s struggles because the run game never got a strong push to help the QBs. Has that changed for 2024?
Utah experienced a learning curve after getting invited to the Pac-12. BYU is going through that same process. The question is, how much progress have Sitake, Aaron Roderick and Jay Hill made in the past 12 months?
Cougar Insider predictions
Question of the week: Many pundits have low expectations for BYU football after last year’s season-ending losing streak and five-win campaign. What are your expectations given BYU’s tough schedule, one of the toughest in the league in 2024?
Jay Drew: To be honest, my expectations for BYU’s 2024 football season are probably on the lower end of the equation. I’m not ready to reveal exactly where I put the Cougars in my Big 12 preseason poll, but let’s just say it is in the bottom half of the standings. I had trouble finding a Cougar to select to the preseason all-Big 12 team as well. There’s just no Kingsley Suamataia, Puka Nacua, or the like, in this bunch.
There are other reasons for low expectations, such as the lack of a proven returning quarterback, offensive line questions, and the rugged schedule, of course. In short, Kalani Sitake and his staff face a lot of pressure to get BYU to a bowl game this season. That has to be the goal — and then work toward making a climb in the standings in future seasons.
If there’s a glimmer of hope, I think it is that BYU’s defense will be better, more disruptive and more able to stop the run. Jay Hill’s reconstruction in Year Two will pay dividends.
Dick Harmon: I was optimistic a year ago that BYU would win seven games and make a bowl game in the Cougars’ first year of Big 12 play. When they got to five wins, including a win at Arkansas in SEC territory, I thought that prediction was secure. Then Kedon Slovis got injured, most of the defensive starters were on the bench with injuries, and that team never won another game.
This year BYU will have a much tougher schedule and will play the top seven teams in the league. The five-game losing streak to end last year has soured many on BYU’s chances to make a bowl game. The pressure is on BYU’s staff and players and I think they will respond and surprise.
I think shaking up the offensive staff and bringing in TJ Woods to work with the offensive line — a big problem last year — will show results. I think bringing Kevin Gilbride from the NFL to coach the tight ends will show results. This is the deepest receiving corps BYU has had in some time, and there are a lot of additions to the defense that will give Jay Hill’s design more depth.
As bad as it ended a year ago, that team was just a few plays from winning two to three more games and making a bowl. Adding consultants like Gary Andersen during the spring and bringing in veteran coach Chad Kauha’aha’a has helped Hill. Sitake has also retooled his strength and conditioning staff. In many ways, this is a rebuilt staff and team. The question is, will it work?
The biggest question for me is how effective can Jake Retzlaff or Gerry Bohanon be at QB? That is the X factor. If Retzlaff is the starter and has taken a leap forward, BYU can have an impact, especially in home games. BYU needs a good start with wins over Wyoming and SMU to set the foundation. Conclusion: This is a team with a chip on its shoulder for low expectations, but it is a “show me” team. They’ll have to prove themselves to gain credibility.
Cougar tales
Former BYU athletes enjoyed outstanding performances at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials this past week in Eugene, Oregon, and current Cougar James Corrigan had a miraculous performance in meeting the steeplechase qualifying standard Saturday night in Philadelphia, as Doug Robinson reported. He’ll join Kenneth Rooks on the men’s steeplechase team in Paris. Courtney Wayment also punched a ticket to the Olympics and will compete in the women’s steeplechase. Former BYU distance runners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young will compete in the marathon for the U.S. team, while former BYU standout Rory Linkletter will cover the 26.2 course for Canada.
BYU added another linebacker commitment from the class of 2025 this past week according to a report by Jackson Payne. This came during a 10-day span where BYU football received commitments almost every day.
From the archives
From the X-verse
Extra points
- BYU tight end coach says school has changed big time (Deseret News)
- Five takeaways from BYU’s Big 12 Year 1 (KSL Sports)
- Cougars take five to Big 12 football media days (KSL Sports)
Fanalysts
Comments from Deseret News readers:
Knell may not start but he will see a lot of playing time. With Denim at 2/3 and Catching at 3/4 Knell will have the kind of wide open looks shooters dream of. His 3 percentage last year was elite even considering the final stretch where he was playing through a shoulder injury. Other guys will rotate in as well, but Knell will shoot the lights out this year and you will see his stock raise like crazy because of the other talented guys playing around him.
— Baller04
Sounds like everyone is doing just fine so far. I also hear BYU is being highly choosy with who gets the final scholarship. They might be holding that spot for someone who is currently playing internationally. BYU has already landed two first-round 2025 draft picks in Demin and Catchings. Could they soon add a third? That would be insane.
— Befair
Based on the roster I think some NBA scouts are buying season tickets.
Odds of this team making noise is significant as well. I’m kind of surprised that predictions haven’t moved much, I guess they need to see how the team gels.
Both the attention from scouts and the possibility of being a very good team with the added benefit of having a seasoned partial NBA staff and what is likely 2 first round picks - there are a lot of benefits to all players on the team.
— JoshfromLondon
Up next
- Aug. 7 | TBA| Women’s Soccer | @ Utah Valley
- Aug. 9 | 7 p.m. | Women’s Soccer | Wyoming