QB battle the headliner, but BYU football has plenty of holes to fill as spring camp opens Monday

PROVO — It's still basketball season, and devoted self-described Utah Jazz superfan Kalani Sitake is still reveling in his support of the NBA's top team.

But the BYU head football coach also knows that spring is here and the Cougars have a lot of work to do.

BYU opens spring camp Monday following a season unlike any other, and with the possibility of a season unlike the last one on any foreseeable horizon.

That's because the Cougars have a huge rebuild in front of them as they embark on the spring season, which is still being played in the midst of pandemic protocols, mass testing for COVID-19, and practices held without spectators and media intervention.

For BYU, it's a rebuild unlike any other in the NCAA, too. The Cougars ranked dead last in returning production from last year's 11-1 squad that achieved its highest final ranking since 1996 at No. 11 nationally, according to metrics compiled by ESPN's Bill Connelly. The complete list did not include New Mexico State, Old Dominion or UConn, who did not play during the coronavirus-affected fall season.

So what is the biggest key to the Cougars' first spring session following the departure of quarterback Zach Wilson? Just finding a way to get better, Sitake said.

"I want to compete. We have a lot of position battles to go through," Sitake said. "I don't know if we'll have any decisions made by the end of spring, but I'd like to get close to it.

"We've got to utilize spring ball, the 15 practices we have, and also fall camp. But I'd like to go into spring camp thinking everybody has a chance to start."

BYU returns at just 31% of production from a year ago, ranking 127th out of 127 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The formula from the creator of SP+ is skewed in favor of passing yards, which may explain part of BYU's lack of returning production, at least on offense. The Cougars' running back corps remains mostly intact, returning Tyler Allgeier, Lopini Katoa and every major contributor from 2021; but returning running back rushing yards accounts for just 5% of Connelly's formula.

Still, the most visible losses will come on offense — where Wilson, wide receiver Dax Milne, and offensive linemen Brady Christensen, Chandon Herring and Tristen Hoge (among others) have already declared for the upcoming NFL draft. And yet, the bigger holes may be on defense.

The Cougars return just 16% of defensive production, with gaping holes on the defensive line in Khyiris Tonga, at linebacker in Isaiah Kaufusi (among others), and in the defensive backfield, where Troy Warner and Zayne Anderson headlined a talented senior class.

That last one may have the quickest answer, with junior San Diego product Malik Moore returning to full health and former Westlake and Timpview quarterback Chaz Ah You healthy and likely to return to safety after spending the past year in a hybrid flash linebacker role.

"We have a lot of guys there, and some of them like Ammon Hannemann were hurt," Sitake said. "That room is full of a lot of players that can play, as well as a lot of talented new guys. They're going to need the 15 practices, and we'll figure it out."

But the biggest headline will be the upcoming quarterback battle, with returning lettermen Jaren Hall and Baylor Romney competing with standout freshmen Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters and Jacob Conover to be QB1 when BYU kicks off Sept. 4 against Arizona in Las Vegas.

All four bring their own talents, as well as areas where they need to improve. And all four will be given adequate time to show whether they can be that starter before the fall, which is why Sitake has continuously said there's little chance the competition is wrapped up by the end of spring.

It's one thing to work in starter-level reps among two or three quarterbacks; entering camp with four potential starters makes divvying up equal work night unto impossible.

So, don't expect an answer from Sitake by April — even if that's what fans and media want to know.

"I think we can pare it down, but I'm not sure. It's hard to give that many reps to four guys," Sitake said. "We're going to try to do it at the beginning … but because we have four guys that we think can play and can win games, we're going to have to do a little more than just skelly to see which quarterback can throw.

"It's like in basketball: You can't choose a point guard if you just play half-court or 3-on-3. You've got to see who can break the press and dish the ball better. I'm talking like this because my Jazz just kicked butt — and whatever we can do to be innovative like Quin Snyder is doing with the Jazz, we'll do around here. But it's got to be built around the fundamentals."

There's that Jazz reference again.

So while Sitake is casually cheering on his favorite NBA team to the top of the league, he'll also have plenty of work to do as he figures out the direction of his program — from now until after the NBA Finals.

"I don't know if all the battles and the depth chart will be solidified by the end of spring," he said. "You can probably look at a few guys and know they'll be in the two-deep, but it's exciting when guys have to compete and fight for their spot — or try to take someone else's spot."

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