BYU football will play its first game of the 2024 season in just a few months, and while there may be some changes by then, the majority of the roster is set in stone. The Cougars enter their sophomore season in the Big 12 league looking to go on a redemption tour after missing out on a bowl game appearance last season.
That being said, head coach Kalani Sitake faces a tough task this fall. With a deeper conference and some big name departures, what are the biggest concerns heading into the 2024 season?
Quarterback
BYU was blessed with a great quarterback lineup in Zach Wilson and Jalen Hall. Last year was a harsh reality check. Kedon Slovis was good but not great. Then he got hurt. Jake Retzlaff finished the season and started the final four games. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes and was a turnover machine.
The former junior college star is entering his second year with the BYU program. As things stand, there is a good chance he will start the season as the starting quarterback. He is a great athlete and has ideal mobility. The biggest question is how much he can improve from the second half of last season to this fall.
If Retzlaff isn't the starter, it's likely because the coaching staff believes Jerry Bohannon is the better option. After six seasons with two different programs, Bohannon comes to BYU looking for one last shot. He was the starting quarterback at Baylor, which won the Big 12 and Sugar Bowl in 2021, but has since fallen off the rails.
Since then, he's transferred to South Florida, where he struggled to stay on the field — he didn't attempt a single pass during his last year with the Bulls — and he's come to Provo looking to end a long, rollercoaster career on a strong note.
Neither option right now inspires immediate confidence in the fan base — both have their downsides — and it's up to the coaching staff and two point guards to maximize their talents and turn them into a standout year that wows fans and pundits alike.
Offensive Line
If there's one position that came under more scrutiny than BYU's quarterback last year, it was the offensive line, mostly due to a lack of reliability compared to the sheer amount of talent on paper. Kingsley Suamataia is gone, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, and frankly, even he was a bit of a disappointment last season.
Caleb Etienne, a transfer from Oklahoma State, was a much-hyped prospect at right tackle before the season, but he ended up being a huge disappointment with a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 53.6, and he ended up losing the starting job to Brayden Keim.
Keim and Etienne will both return this season.
BYU ranked just 120th in rushing yards per game and 121st in total offense last season. Out of 68 Power 5 teams last year, BYU was 51st in run blocking.
Additionally, they need to protect their quarterback, but the quarterback himself also needs to improve significantly.
Needless to say, the Cougars need some big men on the offensive line to step up this season. Keim could slot in at left tackle, and Connor Pay returns at center. They'll need some way to open up the offensive line if they're going to get through a tough schedule.
Schedule strength
In terms of schedule, the Big 12 Conference hasn't done BYU any favors this season. Of the 11 Big 12 teams returning to the conference from last season in 2024, BYU is scheduled to face three of the top four teams (Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Kansas).
Arizona also comes to Provo coming off a resurgent season, going 10-3 and ranking 11th in the final Associated Press poll. Needless to say, the Cougars will travel to Rice-Eccles Stadium to take on Utah, who will be in the running for the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
From Oct. 12-Nov. 16, BYU will play Arizona and Oklahoma State before facing UCF and then Utah after the break.
BYU is scheduled to play five teams that finished in the AP Top 25 from last season.
By comparison, Utah won't play Kansas or Kansas State, will play Arizona and Iowa State at home, and will only leave the Mountain Time Zone once between Sept. 28 and Nov. 23. It will only play two teams that finished in the top 25 last year.
The schedule is unfavorable for a BYU team looking to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 season.
