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BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff throws a pass during the Big 12 game against Baylor at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU freshman running back Sione I. Moa runs the ball up the field during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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Daily Herald sports reporters Darnell Dickson and Brandon C. Gurney use their sports expertise to riff on the hot BYU sports topics of the moment.

1. No one really knows how the Jake Retzlaff situation will be resolved, but if he’s unable to play quarterback next season, is BYU still a Top 15 football team that can challenge for the Big 12 title?

DICKSON: Hold on there, sport. Who says the Cougars are Top 15 and can challenge for the Big 12 title in the first place? Lots of national pundits? Sure, they do. But I have a few reservations. There are concerns on defense (we’ll get to those in the next question) and I really think we’re underselling the loss of Keelan Marion, Darius Lassiter and several key offensive line starters. Plus, the randomness of college football was on full display last season, especially in the Big 12. BYU could just as easily wind up like Oklahoma State, Kansas and Utah did. The line between success and failure has never been thinner. Then there is the turnover on the roster. I know it’s just part of college sports anymore, but I just can’t help but be skeptical that EVERY key offseason move is going to work to perfection.

Do I think a quarterback other than Retzlaff could lead the Cougars to glory? I’m a big believer in Mark Pope’s old quote “seniors are magic” so I have my doubts. But it would be fun to watch, wouldn’t it?

GURNEY: No. That’s the simple answer. I’m not certain if BYU is even a top 15 team with Jake Retzlaff at quarterback. I believe Retzlaff is still one of the more underrated players on BYU’s team, which seems impossible to state about any quarterback who has starting experience, but feel that’s certainly the case with Retzlaff. A lot of people seem to underrate just how important returning experience is at the quarterback position with regards to knowledge of the offense, connection with key receivers, and several other factors.

I do think the backups have potential, and particularly McCae Hillstead, who is the odds on favorite to earn the backup position should Retzlaff remain BYU’s starter. But experience trumps potential on most occasions and I believe it does with BYU’s current quarterback situation.

2. With heavy losses on the defensive line and at cornerback, do you think Jay Hill’s BYU defense will be better or worse in 2025?

GURNEY: I believe the potential is absolutely there to be a better defensive unit with most of my optimism due to BYU’s returning linebackers. Isaiah Glasker had a breakout season and is poised for improved play this season and should finish out as one of the best outside linebackers ever to play in Provo. Jack Kelly proved worth of all his hype after transferring from Weber State and Siale Esera had loads of potential. I also believe BYU’s safety play will be significantly improved with every player on the two-deep roster returning this season. Throw in Utah transfer Keanu Tanuvasa (DL), Utah State transfer Max Alford (LB) and Texas transfer Tausili Akana (DE), among others, and BYU’s front seven play has the potential to improve upon its play last season and more than compensate for the losses at cornerback.

DICKSON: OK, let’s talk defense. The Cougars have completely restocked at tackle with some massive dudes and there is potential on the edges with young talent. But we’re still talking about new starters there and in at cornerback, where Jakob Robinson was a dude for three seasons. There is good young talent back there (maybe great young talent) but still green. The strong linebacker unit is going to have to carry a lot of weight this season. So I would conclude that the defense won’t put up the same level of statistics it did in 2024, especially in the turnover category. But I have belief in Hill’s system and his coaching ability. The defense will still be good.

3. BYU has had a lot of success this spring pulling four-star athletes in football recruiting well after the February signing day. What’s going on with Kalani Sitake and the coaching staff?

DICKSON: This is Gurney’s area of expertise, so he’ll probably write circles around me on this one. But I think I’ve got a pretty good feel for Sitake’s message to recruits. “Love and learning” is working. It’s tricky, because NIL adds another layer of discussion points and when you look at players with two or three former addresses, you know they’re chasing the bag. You can’t really fault them for it, but it does complicate the issue. You have to sell the “we’re going to prepare you to win at life” against the “let me make your bank account bigger right now,” and we all know BYU isn’t for everybody. As the Cougars go after the right guys, we’re seeing the approach work.

GURNEY: I’ve been covering BYU recruiting for more than 20 years now and I’ve always wondered how the Cougars could measure up if granted similar advantages of other top programs. Well, we’re now seeing it. BYU simply has a lot of those same benefits now, with regards to resources, conference affiliation and on-the-field credibility. It’s been interesting to watch it unfold, and we’ve arrived at the point where BYU can exert even more advantages than a lot of other top programs due to its relatively wealthy and active donor base who have responded very well in helping provide funds via NIL to these top athletes.

4. Aside from freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa, which BYU men’s basketball newcomer do you think will make the biggest impact?

GURNEY: Robert Wright III is the easy answer here, but I’m going with Kennard Davis. I have some concern about Wright’s recovery from a hand injury, but Davis should be coming in with guns-a-blazing while slotting in as one of BYU’s primary scorers. He was regarded as a 4-star transfer prospect after averaging 16.3 points per game for Southern Illinois last season and he can score from anywhere on the floor. The Cougars have a need for added wing depth and Davis should fit in very nicely in filling the void left by Mawot Mag, and particularly on the offensive end of the floor.

DICKSON: The team is going at it for summer workouts and every once in a while they’ll post a video clip of some spectacular play. Dybantsa will probably only stay one season in Provo but man, it’s going to be a stunner every time he takes the floor in 2025-26. It will literally be “can’t miss television” when the Cougars play, and I’ll be there for it. I’ve sung the praises of Washington transfer Dominique Diomande as a possible replacement for Mawot Mag’s defensive ability and energy, and I still think that’s a possibility. But Kevin Young brought point guard Robert Wright III from Baylor for a reason, and I think Wright is going to play the majority of the minutes there. Sure, Dybantsa will handle the ball a lot but Wright is a g0-go type player and watching him push the ball next season will be a treat.

5. BYU men’s basketball coach Kevin Young said he wanted to beef up his team’s non-conference schedule next season. As he lines up Villanova, UConn, North Carolina (an exhibition, but still), Wisconsin, etc, is he going a bit overboard with the schedule?

DICKSON: There were plenty of cupcakes on the 2024 nonconference slate (Central Arkansas, Queens, Idaho, Mississippi Valley State, Florida A&M) and the Cougars produced a mixed bag with the tougher contests. BYU pushed No. 23 Ole Miss to overtime before losing and handled North Carolina State the next night, both at a neutral site. The Cougars were embarrassed at Providence (a 19-point loss) and got off to a 1-3 start in Big 12 play. But the process worked and BYU made a nice showing in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 and playing some of its best ball. I think Young has the right idea to showcase his young studs and Richie Saunders against some stiffer competition in November and December. We’ll see if it will be worth it.

GURNEY: I really have mixed feelings about the scheduling. On one hand you’re putting a lot on the initial play and chemistry of a team that will be relying heavily on first-year players to Kevin Young’s program. Furthermore, Big-12 play prepares the Cougars just fine for NCAA play and it’s hard to believe that a tougher slate of opponents will do much with regards to improving their KenPom or NET rankings.

Then again, what better way to prepare for the likes of Houston, Kansas and all the rest than squaring off against the Huskies, Badgers, Tarheels and the like? Kevin Young proved ahead of the curve last season and there’s very good reason to believe he’s ahead of it again with who he’s electing to schedule.