In the lead-up to the fall football practice session we’ll be previewing 15 such players whose contribution and progress throughout August will very likely play big in determining how successful of a team BYU proves to be in 2026.

Jojo Phillips

6-5 205 RS-Jr. WR

Lancaster, Calif.

It could well be argued that there’s no position group on this year’s BYU football team that holds more question marks than the receivers. The departures of both Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston certainly leads to a great deal of insecurity regarding who will replace BYU’s top two receivers from a season ago, let alone if there’s anyone within the group capable of becoming a true No. 1 receiving option.

To bring everything Roberts brought to the position is probably too tall of an order, considering his vast experience and skill set while the same could be said of Kingston. Sure, there’s several players within the receiver position group that have similar physical attributes, although how effectively those same players can translate their skillsets to consistent and standout performances is a big question mark.

When surveying the receiver group, the most obvious name that could rise to primary receiver status is Jojo Phillips.

Phillips came to BYU with a load of potential, but perhaps not a lot of experience being a top-end receiver. He spent his high school days as a top basketball player and has been working to develop his skills on the gridiron since arriving in Provo just prior to the 2023 season.

Phillips has fulfilled the role as backup receiver for most of his career up until now, and was set for a bit of a bigger role last season prior to a collarbone injury which sidelined him for a good portion of the season. The question for Phillips is consistency and a superior mindset to take the lead as Bear Bachmeier’s primary receiver with BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick liking what he saw this past spring.

“Jojo Phillips has taken a big step forward,” Roderick said. “You know, that injury he had last year was pretty serious. We don’t talk a lot about details and stuff, but that was a tough injury and it hurt his confidence and it took him some time to get back.”

With regards to ability there’s little to no question whether or not Phillips has the goods. He wears his 6-foot-5 frame well and noticeably put on more muscle mass this past offseason, which should aide his overall duration considerably, along with his ability to ward off aggressive coverage schemes against him.

“I do feel like I’m ready now that I’m going into year four, which is crazy,” Phillips said during spring practices. “It went by really fast, but I feel like I’m ready now. I learned a lot from Chase through the years, learned a lot from Darrius (Lassiter), Keelan (Marion), and just all the older guys that came through here that was here before me. So I feel like I’m ready for sure.”

Should Phillips prove ready to firmly grasp the role of No. 1 receiver for this coming season, while approaching the overall consistency and effectiveness of Roberts, it will prove pivotal toward BYU’s overall offensive success on the field.