Very few people, and absolutely no reporters, have been able to watch BYU’s eight spring football practices this month, so when coaches and players in Zoom calls report on the proceedings, we have to take their word for it.
When it comes to describing which side of the ball — offense or defense — has had the edge midway through camp, they are calling it a draw.
That has to be seen as a good thing for the defense, which has fewer experienced players and lacks tried and true playmakers like the offense does in weapons such as tight end Isaac Rex, receivers Gunner Romney and Neil Pau’u, running backs Lopini Katoa and Tyler Allgeier and, of course, the four quarterbacks battling to replace Zach Wilson as the starter.
“I think if you are looking at the 11-on-11 stuff, yeah, both sides have done well,” coach Kalani Sitake said Monday night after the Cougars started their third week of camp. “It is a little bit more evened out this spring. I would agree that this is one of those times where one isn’t just completely dominating the other.”
Even the offensive coaches are acknowledging they aren’t getting the upper hand.
Sitake’s cousin, new passing game coordinator Fesi Sitake, said last Thursday that the defense is holding its own, even after the losses of three starting defensive linemen, both starting safeties, starting cornerback Chris Wilcox and standout linebackers Isaiah Kaufusi and Kavika Fonua to graduation and/or the NFL.
“There has been no one practice where one side just completely dominates from beginning to end, which is a sign of a well-rounded, competitive team. I have been really pleased with that,” Fesi Sitake said. “It has been really good to see. Guys are having fun, and there is a lot of energy out there. That’s what you like to see.”
Kalani Sitake bristled a bit Monday when it was suggested that players might be getting bored with camp, after the Cougars got in only five or six sessions last year before the pandemic hit and shut everything down.
No way, he said.
“These guys have been waiting for this moment to play ball, and you can tell there was a lot of excitement going into the first practice (on March 1), and I would say they have kept the passion and the energy going.”
The head coach said COVID-19 has caused everyone in the program to have a deeper appreciation for everything, including the opportunity to practice.
“We don’t take anything for granted,” Kalani Sitake said. “So I am really thankful that these guys bring it every time. And even the young guys do. There are a few fights here and there, because guys want to compete, want to win. So I haven’t seen any letdown in all the practices so far. It hasn’t been an issue.”
Of course, the quarterback competition continues to dominate headlines, and on Thursday Fesi Sitake gave his take on how it is shaping up. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick will still make the call, but he’s leaning on Fesi Sitake, running backs coach Harvey Unga, tight ends coach Steve Clark and even new offensive line coach Darrell Funk for input.
“Yeah, really good competition so far,” Fesi Sitake said. “Coach Roderick is distributing those reps as evenly as he can.”
Sitake said freshman Jacob Conover, the scout team quarterback last fall, “is doing a great job” and already has a grasp on the playbook. He said Baylor Romney and Jaren Hall “are our two most experienced, proven guys” and are getting better every day.
Redshirt freshman Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters continues to inject creativity and enthusiasm, Fesi Sitake said.
“Everyone has got a little bit of rust, including quarterbacks,” the PGC said. “It has been a fun competition to watch play out, and I am excited to see as the last two weeks unfold and see who continues to succeed and emerge. I know coach Rod will do a great job managing that room.”
Kalani Sitake said he is “comfortable” with all four starting quarterback candidates right now, and is pleased with the way they are progressing. He likes having more than two candidates battling at every position, not just quarterback, but acknowledges there will come a time when giving reps to four QBs with the first team offense won’t be feasible.
“At some point, we are going to have to whittle it down so we can give as many reps as we can to the guy who we are going to get ready for the season,” Kalani Sitake said. “And we are starting to do that a little bit. So we will see how this thing breaks down in the next little bit. But I can tell you that I like being in a position where there is a bunch of them.”
Still no definitive word yet on what the spring game/scrimmage will look like, or whether a limited number of spectators will be able to attend. Sitake said before camp started the Cougars would play a lot of football, a lot of 11-on-11 scrimmages, and he said that has happened, but not without some injuries.
“What happens when you play a lot more football is lot of guys end up getting banged up, and I have had enough of those,” Sitake said, acknowledging that around 120 guys are participating in camp. “But we are not going to stop playing football. We are going to keep rolling. There is an emphasis on taking care of each other and being smart, but there is also an emphasis on playing football and playing 11-on-11, so we have to kind of balance it out.”
Coaches hate singling out players who are having strong camps, but on Monday new defensive ends coach Preston Hadley, the former safeties coach, said D-ends who have made strides include newcomers Hunter Greer and Blake Mangelson, former linebacker Pepe Tanuvasa and a couple of veterans — Tyler Batty, Alden Tofa and Uriah “Lopa” Leiataua.
Safety Chaz Ah You, still recovering from surgeries that sidelined him last season, said in the secondary Keenan Ellis and D’Angelo Mandell “have made huge strides” in being able to cover and making plays on the ball.
“I think Keenan Ellis is a name that is going to stand out this coming 2021 season,” Ah You said.
As for himself, the former four-star prospect from Timpview High said he has been limited in practices this spring as he recovers physically.
“Man, I am doing great though,” he said. “Mentally, this is the best I have been in years. … Once I lose the surgery (inactivity) pounds, I will be at an elite level physically.”