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PROVO — Throughout the first week of fall camp, BYU offensive coaches have commended their players for learning a new offense under new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes at a rapid pace.
It is, perhaps, the most rapid pace BYU receivers coach Fesi Sitake has seen — and he was a former offensive coordinator for one of the top offenses in the Football Championship Subdivision at Weber State.
But how are they putting it all together? Sitake has a theory.
They skip lunch — sort of.
"They are a very studious group," said Sitake, a close cousin of BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. "They’ll grab dinner after practice, and instead of sitting in the cafeteria, they’ll take their meals to the film room and watch film together. They know we are on some time constraints … but they also just want to get better."
The group includes rising junior standout Micah Simon, who Sitake pointed to as a clear-cut leader among the wide receivers, incoming graduate transfer Dylan Collie (the younger brother of BYU’s No. 2 all-time leading receiver Austin), junior Aleva Hifo, and incoming freshmen Gunner Romney, Dax Milne and Brayden Cosper, among others — and most of them have been working together in both formal and player-run practices since spring camp.
It’s also a group of guys who genuinely enjoy spending time together — whether it’s on the football field or their own makeshift cafeteria.
"We get so many reps, and there are so many plays that we can't watch it all in the time we have with coach," said Simon, the 6-foot-1 lead returning receiver who caught 27 passes for 386 yards and three touchdowns in 2017. "Why not get together and help each other out? It’s obviously a competition, but we have to come together and be ready to help each other out."
If BYU hopes to improve on last season’s reputation as one of the lowest-rated offenses in the Football Bowl Subdivision, they’ll need that extra time — and only time will tell if it does them any good.
But for now, the group is leaving a mark on their new coaches.
"After a week, I’ve been so impressed with how they’ve picked up the offense, and the energy and effort haven’t taken a drop at all," Sitake said. "I’m super impressed and super excited for them."
Missed second chance
Former BYU commit Brandon "Ale" Kaho, a five-star linebacker from Reno High in Nevada, was recently released from his National Letter of Intent at Washington due to reported extenuating circumstances involving the death of a family member back home.
"The family was really adamant that he’s going through some stuff, and he wants to be closer to his family," Washington coach Chris Peterson told Seattle-area media, according to The Athletic. "We get that. We’ve got to do the right thing and wish him the best."
But Wednesday afternoon, Kaho committed to a new school — one that had recruited him prior to signing with the Huskies in April.
Kaho will join Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, and could be eligible once he enrolls in classes in Tuscaloosa, as first reported by 247 Sports.
Speaking hypothetically because coaches aren’t allowed to discuss unsigned recruits under NCAA policy, BYU coach Kalani Sitake said he would welcome former Cougar recruits coming to campus — if they found that the unique university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the right place for them on a second or third go-around.
“If it works in the system and with what our mission is at BYU — if they can fit in here — I won’t be against good football players,” the head coach said. “We have to develop guys with five-star potential, but we recruit a bunch of players that people see and then people swoop in and try to steal them.
“All of the guys we sign we think are big-time guys. But if there’s a chance that a guy wants to come back and realizes that we loved him first, I’d be happy to oblige.”
Supported QBs
No decision has been made on the Cougars' quarterback competition, but senior-to-be Tanner Mangum and true freshman Zach Wilson appears to have a slight edge over sophomore Joe Critchlow and returned-missionary freshman Jaren Hall for the No. 1 signal-caller job, based on practice reps during media-viewing portions.
Of course, competitions like the ones the Cougars have experienced are fluid — and improvement can happen in a matter of days, or even away from the media.
But each of those quarterbacks has earned a certain level of respect from their teammates, graduate senior Dylan Collie said.
“Everyone from Jaren to Tanner to Zach to Joe, each one can play at the Division I level. There is no doubt in my mind that they can step in and play,” Collie said Wednesday.
“They understand the offense in such a way that they can get out there, and when we go as a team, they can command the crowd. They each have significant talent, and it’s a blessing to be a part of it.”
