The Cougars haven't competed for a conference title in 12 years, so no player - no matter the COVID exception or length of their mission - has had that chance. The new faces around the program only accentuates the new feeling around the school as it prepares to join its first Power Five conference, a step up from a decade of independence to weekly competition in the Big 12. I think for the most part, we don't have a lot of missed assignments. "It takes time to get chemistry and timing down for everyone. "We've had so much continuity the last few years, this is the first time we've had three new quarterbacks," Roderick said. Robbins will be limited, at best, in spring practices while he recovers from wrist surgery.īut his presence on the sideline highlights that these aren't he same Cougars from years past, Same with a dozen other newcomers, including former FCS All-American cornerback Eddie Heckard, Boise State pass rusher Isaiah Bagnah, Utah interior lineman Paul Maile, and a bevy of returned missionaries like freshman safety Raider Damuni.Īdd in freshman quarterback Ryder Burton and Corner Canyon walk-on Cole Hagen, who committed to Yale before serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and there might as well be a full-time placard for name tags in the Cougars' practice facility. That may also be the case at running back with Aidan Robbins, the former 1,000-yard rusher at UNLV from Louisville who is finishing out his eligibility with BYU after telling the Cougars no twice before committing in December. 1 snaps under center.Įven if offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick hadn't told media that would be the case for the graduate transfer in his final season of eligibility, junior college transfer Jake Retzlaff's recovery from an offseason tonsillectomy made it even more apparent that Slovis will get every opportunity to be "the guy" ahead of a group that also includes returning quarterbacks Nick Billoups and Cade Fennegan. On the first day of spring practices, all eyes were on new quarterback Kedon Slovis, the former USC signal caller and Pitt transfer who took No. But it's been fun getting to know all the new guys." "It's really interesting to look at our locker room, and none of those guys are in there. I've been around the program since 2019, and for a while there were a lot of the same guys that I knew. "The past couple of months, I was able to learn a lot of new names and known new guys. "There are a ton of new guys, honestly," Batty said Monday after the Cougars initiated their first practice of a Big 12 Conference they will formally join July 1. Not anymore for the junior from Payson, whose team has 37 new faces dotting the lineup between transfers, returning missionaries and incoming freshmen. PROVO - For most of his collegiate career, BYU defensive end Tyler Batty walked into the locker room and looked around to a whole bunch of familiar faces.įrom Jaren Hall to Zach Wilson, Gunner Romney to Puka Nacua, and James Empey to Blake Freeland, the core of the roster remained intact from year to year.
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