BYU's new quarterback, Jerry Bohannon, played in 31 college football games at Baylor and South Florida. The graduate transfers have already joined six teams, four with the Bears and two with the Bulls.
The well-traveled signal caller knows a talented receiver when he sees one. So when Bohannon says that this group of his BYU receivers collectively will be the best he's ever had, people should probably take note.
“I'm really excited for these guys and what they can do,” Bohannon said as 2024 spring soccer practice concluded in Provo last Saturday. “Our talent at receiver and tight end is phenomenal. It's as good a group as I've ever played with.”
If the players can stay healthy and the ever-lurking transfer portal temptations don't emerge, receiver will be the deepest position on the team, along with safety, as the Cougars embark on their second season in the Big 12 this fall. That would be easy. .
Receivers coach and passing game coordinator Fesi Sitake said so far, with the exception of tight end Isaac Rex, who graduated and declared for the NFL Draft, and walk-on Dom Henry, who has committed. , have been able to retain all of their top pass catchers for 2023 and beyond. He had a stellar performance in spring training last year, but was charged by FAU on Jan. 5 after failing to record any performance last season.
“We feel like it’s the best we’ve ever had in terms of depth,” Sitake told the Deseret News last week. “(It could have been better) there's always a few receivers here and there. But in terms of the quality of depth and how many guys I can go through, especially considering the freshmen we're going to get. It’s as deep as ever.”
Returned missionary Dominic McKenzie will attend spring camp, and Cody Hagen will return from a mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints later this spring. The younger brother of standout special teamer Marcus McKenzie, McKenzie can play receiver and corner and will be one of the fastest players on the team. Hagen, a four-star prospect out of Drapers Corner Canyon High School, chose BYU over offers from Utah, Stanford, Michigan, Oregon and Southern California.
Tei Nacua, a three-star recruit from Timpview and the younger brother of Los Angeles Rams rookie sensation Puka Nacua, will join the program this summer. Another of his three-star receivers in the Class of 2024, American His Fork's Jett Nelson, plans to serve in a church mission prior to matriculation.
“Adding these players to our already experienced six gives us tremendous depth,” Sitake said. “It's early. We'll see how they develop and how they develop in this offense. But I'm excited about this group.”
Leading the returning group of receivers is Chase Roberts, an All-Fork product who caught 42 passes for 573 yards and five touchdowns last season. Darius Lassiter, Cody Epps, Kieran Marion and Parker Kingston also return. All four had at least 20 catches and at least 200 yards receiving last year.
Keanu Hill, another top receiver starting in 2023, was switched to tight end for his final season of eligibility to adjust to his larger, heavier frame and utilize his blocking ability.
Redshirt freshman JoJo Phillips caught just one pass last year, but scored a 5-yard touchdown against Iowa State. Returned missionary Devin Downing, a member of last year's scout team, had a great catch in spring training, along with walk-on Weston Covey, a Lone Peak High School graduate.
“I think it's going to be a solid group. All of the (returning) players had their moments last year. … And we've had our ups and downs,” offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. “I think you're going to see the experience (show) this year after getting some lumps last year. I'm hoping it pays off for them this year. I have a lot of confidence in that group.”
Like Sitake, Roderick also mentioned receivers who will join this summer and add depth to the receiver room. He said the Cougars don't want to take help from the portal like they did last year when they added Lassiter and Marion after spring training. If the offense adds players, it will be on the offensive line, and if a “game changer” is available, it will be a running back.
“Yeah, we have some great players joining us this summer,” Roderick said. “We don't really know who's going to emerge, but if we can learn the offense, I'm sure we'll have players coming in with the ability to help us in the fall.”
Both Sitake and Roderick don't think they'll be losing their top receiver, who will conduct post-spring interviews in the coming weeks, but they're not taking anything for granted. Sitake said they actively recruit their own roster every year.
“In this day and age, it takes effort to keep all that. It's crazy with this transfer portal thing, it's so fluid,” Sitake said. “Even if you don't get the information that someone is considering a move, you know it's real. It's just part of the culture now. People appreciate it. : Am I happy here? Is the grass greener? This is a process that every regular player goes through every year.
“So our most important recruiting job is now our own talent,” he continued. “In the exit interview, (we talk) about what they needed to improve on…and just get a little sense of whether some of them are thinking about leaving.
“Certainly we have to fight to keep them year after year.”
“I'm so excited for them and what they can do. The talent we have at receiver and tight end is phenomenal. It's as good a group as I've ever played with.”
— BYU quarterback Jerry Bohannon
Most observers believed Lassiter would return in 2024, but that wasn't officially announced until February 19, when the NCAA granted him an eligibility waiver to transfer to Eastern Michigan. Lassiter had 29 catches for 365 yards and four touchdowns in 2023 for the Cougars.
Sitake said Lassiter's spring training was great.
“Out of all the players in this room, he definitely had the best spring ball,” Sitake said. “You see him with braces on his knees around here. It's just a precaution. He's perfectly healthy. He's ready to roll. He's made some great catches. He's playing super physical. If he stays healthy and gets on the right track, I think he's going to play a lot more than we saw him last year.”
Sitake said Phillips, a three-star recruit from California in the Class of 2023, also did well in spring training and will play an even bigger role in 2024.
“He's gotten even faster because he's put on the right type of weight. He's a very smooth route runner and he's gotten faster and stronger. He plays with power,” Sitake said of Phillips. Told. “You think about a player like Puka (Nacua). No one could hug him. He was a very strong route runner. Jojo has that element in him. He has become stronger. He didn't have that before.
“And the other thing is he's getting used to the playbook. He's playing with more confidence. He knows what to do. He's getting used to the little nuances of positions and strategies. And he obviously has a lot of room to grow, but I think what you're seeing is a precursor to what he can do in this offense. I can do that.”
