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BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and players celebrate with the Cougar fans after the Big 12 game against UCF at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU sophomore running back LJ Martin runs the ball up the field during the game against Southern Illinois at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

Marci Harris, Special to the Herald

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I’ve got an example of how college football hype works.

Utah fans are going to love this.

OK, not really. But I’m going to use it, anyway.

All summer long I’ve heard about how great the Utes offensive line is going to be in 2025. Spencer Fano and company (all five starters return) have been mentioned on plenty of lists for the top five offensive lines in the country.

Do you know what Utah finished in rushing in the Big 12 last season?

14th. Out of 16 teams.

Huh.

I’m not saying Fano and his mates won’t be better this season. There were tons of injuries in Salt Lake last season and a freshman quarterback. All I’m saying is sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between the hype and the reality. Basing your opinions on hype can lead to big disappointments when reality comes crashing down on you.

BYU fans are facing a number of “hype vs. reality” situations in 2025 as well. Here’s a look at a few of them.

Hype: Losing Jake Retzlaff isn’t a big deal because his numbers weren’t great and he struggled at times.

Reality: Retzlaff was hard to figure out and ran kind of hot and cold. He had some spectacular starts (UCF, Baylor) and finishes (Oklahoma State, Utah) in 2024. It was the in-between that got him in trouble sometimes. In BYU’s two losses (Kansas and Arizona State), Retzlaff had two touchdown passes and three interceptions. More importantly, the Cougars averaged 34 points in the other nine games but scored just 13 and 23 in the two losses.

Still, Retzlaff led BYU to 11 wins. That’s not too shabby.

I know coaches would rather have a senior quarterback returning than someone untested. Will a new starting quarterback be able to get the victories?

National media was ready to put BYU easily into the Top 25 with Retzlaff returning, but not so much since he had to leave.

Hype: Running back LJ Martin is healthy and he’s going to run for 1,000 yards in 2025.

Reality: Martin has played in ten games in each of his two seasons at BYU, averaging about 11 carries per game as a freshman and 14 as a sophomore. All reports point to Martin being in the best shape of his life and he seems to have a little more breakaway speed in fall camp. Let’s say his work load increases to 16 carries a game at five yards a pop. That would put him very close to 1,000 yards over the full 12-game season. Of course, he’s only going to be as good as his offensive line blocks, and there are question marks there. A good running game would be a huge bonus for a new starting quarterback and BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick believes his offense will be able to run the ball. If Martin stays healthy, Sione Moa continues to improve and Hinckley Ropati gets an NCAA waiver, Roderick may be right. When Tyler Allgeier was in Provo, the Cougars could line up and run the ball at anybody. Can that be true in 2025?

Hype: In Carson Ryan, BYU finally has a tight end that can make a consistent impact in the passing game.

Reality: The BYU coaches are saying all the right things about Ryan and he appears to be a favorite target during fall camp. It also appears Ryan is the kind of tight end who can play every down as a blocker and a receiver. Everyone points to Isaac Rex as the last Cougar tight end who could do that, Even then, Rex was kind of a big-play guy but not someone who was getting a lot of targets. The most catches he had in a season was just 37 (in 2020), well short of the numbers put up by other BYU tight end greats. I’ll have to see the Cougars commitment to throwing to the tight end before I believe it.

Hype: BYU’s defense, ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 last season, will be even better this year.

Reality: Defensive coordinator Jay Hill said the pass rush looks different this year (as in better) and that was the one area the Cougars didn’t impress much in 2024. Moreso than the loss of the bulk of the defensive line from last year is replacing Jakob Robinson and Marque Collins as starting cornerbacks. I believe there is talent to step up but we have to see it first. It’s easy to believe in Hill as one of the country’s top defensive coordinators. Can he simply plug in new guys to key positions and continue his success?

Hype: After two straight wins against the Utes, BYU owns Utah right now.

Reality: Wouldn’t you just love for the Cougars to run off nine wins in a row against their rivals? This series has been crazy close over the years and during Utah’s nine-game winning streak BYU had plenty of opportunities to come out on top. The Cougars have been able to make the big plays in wins in 2021 and 2024. It certainly seems as if BYU, with Big 12 status and money, has caught up with the Utes and maybe even passed them. Still, Utah would have won last year’s game but for a defensive holding penalty and you know Kyle Whittingham doesn’t want to retire on a losing streak to BYU. This year’s game in Provo will be something else.

Hype: BYU was disrespected in the Big 12 preseason poll last year and reeled off 11 wins. This year, since the Cougars were voted outside the Top 25, the same thing will happen.

Reality: Maybe. I’ve never thought that the “chip on the shoulder” card is sustainable over the course of an entire season, at least not with every player. If it was, no way BYU would have lost to Kansas. Each game has a life of it’s own and you have to be focused every time to win. That means execution, not just emotion. There are enough returners to know how that felt last season but plenty of newcomers getting their first taste of real action. Kalani Sitake’s “They don’t know but they ’bout to find out” mantra is the battle cry. What will we find out in 2025?