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BYU coach Kalani Sitake (right) gives instructions to linebacker Logan Pili (46) during spring football practice on Friday, March 10, 2023.

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

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New BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis (10), who came to Provo through the transfer portal, goes through drills during spring football practice on Friday, March 10, 2023.

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

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BYU's Keanu Hill dives for a pass during spring football in the Indoor Practice Facility on Friday, March 10, 2023.

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

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BYU receiver Chase Roberts goes through drills during spring football practice on Friday, March 10, 2023.

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

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Things move pretty fast during BYU spring football.

How fast?

The Cougars third practice had the Cougars in pads for the first time.

What does that change, you may ask?

“Everything,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said on Friday. “Everything does. Especially to see the guys tackle. Some of those guys haven’t tackled for three years so it’s good to see the intensity come back. Obviously, those guys are going to get banged up because it’s a physical game. We went live for a lot of the speed space tackling drills, things like that.

“For the O-line and D-line, whether it’s thud, or tag or tackle, it’s live for those guys. I think it’s real football for the O-line and D-line. There was a good battle back and forth between those two.”

The give-and-take between an offense breaking in some new players at key positions and a defense that is learning a new system continues as well.

“I think the offense is really in sync right now and the defense, we’re trying to learn a lot of scheme and pressures and different coverages and things like that,” Sitake said. “So we’ll just keep working on it. It’s come along, but usually the offense is faster in getting ready and the defense takes some time to adapt.”

The players seemed energized with the move to pads.

“It felt good,” junior receiver Keanu Hill said. “It kind of felt a little off because it’s been a while since we’ve been in pads, but it felt good just to get back to knocking heads and everything with the defense.”

Hill and his teammates have been facing the same defense in spring for the past couple of years but he is enjoying the challenge of working against a new scheme.

“I like how they are bringing new pressures,” Hill said. “I feel like last year we didn’t really do as much pressure or anything like that. But Jay Hill, he’s coming in and he’s a more aggressive defensive coordinator and that’s what I really like about him, just his aggressiveness and his willingness to take chances.”

Keanu Hill said the cornerbacks are testing the receivers group daily.

“I feel like they are way more aggressive and more hands on. Like I said before, Coach Hill is an aggressive guy. Today with us in pads they were knocking heads and I really like that.”

Junior John Nelson, who has moved from defensive end to defensive tackle, said the new defense allows his position group to make plays.

“This lets the defensive tackles be more aggressive, get more upfield and kind of cause havoc by themselves,” Nelson said. “As a defense we’ve been pushed a lot harder and it’s been good. We’ve got a lot of expectations and better competition coming this year. So I feel like we’ve got a microscope on us. But you know, pressure makes diamonds. So I think we’ve just got to get better every day.”

Keanu Hill said he already has a lot of confidence in the new defense.

“Our new defense, we’ve been seeing a lot of new stunts, a lot of new front and all of that stuff,” he said. “So I’m really liking how this defense is and Coach Hill coming in.”

Nelson added: “There’s been a lot of schematic changes and a lot of new guys. So it’s kind of like, we’re all staying on the same page. The guys that have been here, we’re doing the new defense and the guys are coming in. They’re going to a new school and doing a new defense, too. So no one has the advantage of knowing expectations going in.”

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