BYU Football's Depth Chart Shows Cougars Have Bonafide Big 12 Building Blocks | BYU Cougars Podcast

BYU's depth chart is out now Jeff Hansen is right it's got a lot of horse on it and I'm actually kind of surprised the BYU uh did what they did with the ores that they put on that depth chart but I also understand going back to our previous conversation about K zake why they are doing it BYU wants to make SIU prepare for every inevitability every probability everything under the sun they possibly can muster from their vantage point I completely understand it do I completely agree with it not really because I look at it as saying you know what this is an FCS team you don't really have to hide that much but it's college football and until there is a um essentially a I don't know how do you say it correctly a uniform way of going about depth charts injury reports and the like whether that comes down from the NCAA more likely from the conferences because I know the Big 10 and the Mac are requiring game day available ility uh announcements now Texas Tech has kind of bucked the trend nationally they actually put out a release yesterday with a essentially an injury report that had guys out for the season out for the game this coming week for their opener against abene Christian and also guys who are questionable for the game against abene Christian that man that's revolutionary the day that Kanani satake does that I will be absolutely floored and it's nothing against colani it's nothing against BYU it's a competitive Advantage the way that they've gone about things but the depth chart for BYU has a few notable things and I want to note them so obviously Jake rof and Gary ban with the OR at quarterback no qb3 listed that was interesting whether it's McKay hillstead or tracon boray it's anybody's guess now we also have ores between the running backs LJ Martin hinley rotti are your top two in terms of co- starters with Miles Davis and pocai honga as the backups they have the ORS there I'm not surprised by that I think that BYU is quite literally going to play all four of those running backs there's no reason to run LJ Martin 30 times against Southern Illinois and risk an injury to him in that let him get in there let him get some run maybe in the first and second quarter by halftime you have them on the cooling on the bench over there while guys like rotti Davis and hga handle the rest of the load the other one I saw a couple of you point out on a locked on Cougar's Insider group in terms of your reaction was the wide receiver position there are eight receivers listed with a bunch of ores there as well Chase Roberts and JoJo Phillips Darius ler and kayn Maran with an or there and Cody EP Parker Kingston I I'm urging you do not be surprised with those six names in particular being listed there as the top six receivers for BYU fessie sitake's history and BYU just overall under Aaron rodri's a tenure suggest they will play essentially a six-man rotation at wide receiver and those six they are truly the best six on BYU's roster and they are the top returning production uh from that unit outside of keano Hill who is BYU starting tight end so I look at it as a you know what this is actually I think shapen up where BYU is going to have a bunch of bodies that to throw at opposing teams and fingers crossed knock on wood everything you need to do to must good Juju BYU stays healthy they have got a ton of depth and that's depth they did not have a season to go and that obviously is a positive uh on the offensive line you have four established starters kayb BN at left tackle way laajo at left guard guard our good friend Connor pay at Center and then Braden Kim at right tackle there is an or also at Right Guard Sun macini and Austin Le USA are competing there wouldn't surprise me to see them rotate in this game I I I thought on social media was it I don't remember who put it out there and if you see this podcast and you were the one that put it out there uh I apologize for not giving you the direct credit but somebody I saw it and I I wish I would have uh bookmarked the Tweet they said that based on the ores they were seeing on the depth chart they say you know what BYU's approaching this game against Southern enois as if it's a preseason NFL game and they really are having open tryouts in this game and that very well could be the case beu may be looking at all options getting a feel for which guys are most deserving of playing time and it's the perfect time to test that out now you can't screw around too much because as we mentioned SIU is a very very talented FCS program but go out there these guys have some run and see what you're capable of couple of surprises on the defense uh well one surprise and one non-s surprise uh surprise to me to look at this and see Logan loule as a co-starter with Isaiah B now Logan has been very good in training camp let me be very clear about that but I thought Isaiah B with his experience the fact that he's a returning starter I thought be why you would do him the honors of putting him as the clear-cut starter at opposite end apparently not Logan loule has made his move there and it feels like it's a neck and neck battle at that position a position you should not be surprised by because I have been talking about this guy all training camp long there a lot of talk about safety and who's going to start at safety for BYU you guys ask me what Raider Deone Jake what about crew wakeley what about Michael Harper you know who the starter at free safety is and he doesn't have an or next to his name Tanner wall yes Tanner wall is going to be a guy that you're going to want to get to know I've mentioned it a couple of times for those of you who are everyday's on this podcast at least in the last week the name to knowing that defensive secondary is tannerwell he's the free safety he's the free safety for a reason he has been very very good in Camp every time I have watched him out there he's been solid if not spectacular and it's cool to see a former walk-on who trans who trans positioned from wide receiver to the defensive backfield getting a start ahead of guys like Raider deun who are Bonafide fourstar prospects and I'm not taking anything away from Raider or michah Harper or Talon Alfrey there's a lot of depth on that uh safety group but that strong safety position is got three ores on it whereas free safety has Tanner wall and then an ore with Tommy prus and fatal satala behind him so interesting developments across the board when it comes to BYU's depth chart but I also want to add one other thing did you notice how many true freshmen are on this depth chart well our good friend Casey Lundquist over at cougs Daily part of the Sports Illustrated uh channels he pointed out and I I did the math myself I started looking at that 10 true freshman are on this St depth chart for BYU football that is a very very cool thing to see now I think it could freak some of you out thinking well Jake they're going to be relying on these true freshmen to make up significant portions of their depth this season yeah that could be a little bit scary under the circumstances but also understand BYU had their best recruiting class to date under K satake particularly on the defensive side of the football that Talent is manifesting itself and showing itself early on in this season and that is a positive for the future of the BYU football program that means if you can retain that Talent continue to hone its craft develop it and let it grow at the pace you hope it grows at those are guys that are projected to be the stalwart Defenders and players overall for future BYU uh teams in 2025 2026 2027 and that sets you up to have some Bedrock players you can build around especially on defense I look at Tommy prus I look at fotas satella that's cool to see them being the co- backups at free safety you also look at guys like viliami Pua you look at guys like a Riner Swanson at tight end uh POA hga running back Cody Hagen t AA uh who else did he uh who else was on the list uh ephra masiat Tommy prus Jonathan cab and Trey Alexander at cornerback all these guys are going to get an opportunity to make an impression for the BYU football program and that bodess very very well for what BYU's evaluation was of these players and bringing them in and giving them an opportunity to compete I know that some veteran players may lose playing time to these young players but that's the simple nature of this game if you cannot be the best on the field at your position BYU has to play the best players available there's just colani said it before and he'll say it again A Thousand Times best players play and that absolutely has to be the case loyalty to a veteran Etc it's all good and dandy but in the circumstance BYU's in right now where they need to win games and win them right now you got to play the best players and that bodess well with those 10 true freshman making up parts of that depth chart for BYU there's a lot of talent in the wings for the BYU football program and given the adequate time to develop and obviously hopefully they stick around there's a transfer portal out there in the L but so long as they stick around with the BYU football program that is a very very positive thing that as you project forward for the BYU Cougars of something you say okay they know what they're doing when it comes to the recruiting game now can they elevate that just a little bit more and bring in some even more talented players well then you're cooking with uh grease as they like to say and that'd be a really really fun thing uh to track in the coming seasons for BYU and colani satake