BYU football received somewhat surprising news with Weber State receiver Reggie Frischknecht announcing on social media that he had committed to accept an offer to join the Cougar program this fall.

Frischknecht is a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder who prepped at Manti High School before playing for Snow College and then transferring to Weber State. He was a standout during his lone season for the Badgers, hauling in 38 passes for 740 yards and 14 touchdowns. He then signed with Weber State back in February before hitting the transfer portal following spring practices and then winding up in Provo.

So why is this commitment a surprise?

Even with the departure of Keelan Marion, the Cougars present a fairly deep and talented receiver room which features senior Chase Roberts and junior Parker Kingston, along with up-and-comers such as freshman Cody Hagan, sophomore Josiah Phillips and freshman Tei Nacua, among others. Furthermore, given Frischknecht’s truncated timeline to learn BYU’s offense and then earn both quarterback Jake Retzlaff and the Cougar offensive coach’s trust in time for the coming season would seem dubious.

But transfer portal additions aren’t always about addressing immediate needs.

Frischknecht showed great promise at Snow where he became a surprise standout receiver as a true freshman. His film shows a size and speed combination that holds a lot of potential, evidenced by his 14 touchdown receptions in just 11 games played and impressive 19.5 yards per reception average.

Athletes from small rural programs, such as Manti, often go overlooked in the recruiting process, and that appears to be the case with Frischknecht. Fortunately, for him, he was afforded the opportunity to showcase his skills at Snow where Weber State, BYU, and undoubtedly some other programs caught notice.

He also has a redshirt option available to him, along with three more years of playing eligibility.

Given BYU receivers Coach Fesi Sitake’s success in identifying, attracting, and then developing recent transfers such as Darrius Lassiter and Keelan Marion, it’s easy to be bullish on Frischknecht’s future contributions. Again, it’s probably unfair to assign any expectations to the Manti product for this coming season, all factors considered, but he’ll certainly be a name worth noting thereafter.

So long to Suesue

BYU football’s latest entry into the transfer portal is 6-foot-5, 200 pound quarterback/athlete Carson Suesue. The Granger High School product signed with the Cougars as part of the 2024 signing class, and was likely to play at another position other than quarterback for the Cougars.

Suesue played for Southern California powerhouse De La Salle before transferring to Granger for his final prep season. He was recruited out of high school by the likes of Utah, Utah State, Tennessee and Arizona State, among others before opting to sign with the Cougars.