PROVO, Utah — BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake opened up his program's spring practices on Monday with the first of 15 sessions to be conducted over the next five weeks before concluding on March 31.
The Cougars add talented newcomers to an experienced team in 2022 that features 19 returning starters on offense and defense and all of its specialists. BYU is coming off a 10-3 season in 2021 to record back-to-back top-20 rankings for the first time since 2006 and 2007. The Cougars are preparing for their final season as a football independent in 2022 before joining the Big 12 Conference for the 2023 season.
Coach Sitake, junior quarterback Jaren Hall and sophomore defensive lineman Tyler Batty spoke with the media following Monday's opening practice. See some of their comments below:
Head Coach Kalani Sitake | watch interview
Opening Statement
“Practice one in the books. I thought it was a really good day. I was very impressed with Jaren and the offense. I like a lot of the new bodies that we are seeing on the defensive side. It is pretty obvious that our team got a lot stronger the last couple of months. We tested our guys in the weight room and I really like the numbers.”
On strength as a team
“Every position group got stronger and that will help us out on the field as well allowing us to be healthier too.”
On returning experience
“The experience on both sides of the ball and on special teams with our placekicker and punter coming back will definitely benefit us going into this year. We are not worried about our guys depth wise, but instead focusing on competition with who is going to win the starting positions.”
On players' leadership
“We have a capable team of leaders and it is my job to put them in position to lead. It is key for me to give them the autonomy to own the program.”
On the quarterbacks & receivers
“Quarterbacks are always going to have to battle for playing time. Overall, today the quarterbacks as a position group did really well. I like the timing they were having with the receivers and it always helps when you have multiple receivers who can catch the ball like our guys.”
On defensive line
“All of our guys got stronger, but Josh Larsen changed his body. He was 260 not long ago and he is over 300 now. The entire defensive line group wants to prove something and they get to go against a really great offensive line every day which makes them a better group.”
On running backs
“We have a lot of guys who can play that position. [Christopher] Brooks and Lopini looked really good today.”
On offensive line
“We have a number of guys who can play all of the positions, which allows us to have different lineups, and we will be trying them out this spring.”
On team depth
“I am really excited about our depth. The game-ready talent that I am seeing from the offensive line is looking great. Our defensive line is young but strong and they will grow up a lot in the next few months before fall camp.”
Quarterback Jaren Hall | watch interview
On the first spring practice
“It was fun, I think it's fun for everybody. Day one, there is always a lot of excitement, a lot of questions, kind of feeling things out from a lot of the new guys, so it was fun to see the wheels start to turn a little bit. Everybody starts to figure it out as the practice goes on. So it was a good time.”
On focus of spring ball
“There will be a lot of emphasis on the team drills and especially staying healthy during it. So, playing fast, to the whistle, keeping everybody healthy, showing a lot of energy every play from an offensive and defensive standpoint. So, I think team will be huge for us.
On what he wants to improve personally
“I want to improve my accuracy passing the ball, being a little quicker, my timing, just slowing down and feeling the game out a lot better.”
On the new-look QB room
“Everyone has a shot to play in the QB room in spring ball which is great. Everyone looks good, is making the right reads, making things simple, and I'm sure it's a product of A-rod, his time with us and how simple he makes it for everybody. So they all look good and we'll be in good hands.”
On replacing running back Tyler Allgeier
“I don't know if there's a plan to replace a guy like that, but next man up. All our running backs looked good today. Who will it be? You know you never know because that's how good of a running back room we have. Every day, day-by-day through spring ball is how you replace him, continuing to get better and find who the next man up is.”
On first thoughts on running back Christopher Brooks
“Biggest thing is, he looked light on his feet today and the same with all the running backs. They look fast and explosive, they look light and I think it's the product of all his hard work. I'm excited to see what he does for us.”
On returning wide receivers Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney
“Oh, absolutely. It's always nice when you don't have to worry about finding chemistry with an entire new receiver group. So, we just get to build off what we did last year and I think after today it's already come along really well.”
On what he learned from watching last year’s film
“I spent a lot of time watching film of last year to know what I could build off of. I think my accuracy down the field, giving guys chances to run with the ball will be a big step in our offense. Of course, that comes down to timing and a lot of other things as well. And then, just finding ways to stay ahead of the defense, keep myself out of dangerous situations to keep the longevity of my body. So, those are two things I'm really focusing on right now. Just mentally building myself to become a top-tier quarterback.”
On the offensive line
“They're as big as the smile on my face right now. Those guys are beasts. We're as deep as we ever have been, maybe ever, in BYU history. As rich of a culture of O-line as it's been here in this program, we will be really good this year. I love those guys, and I am grateful for everything they do.”
On where the offense is right now in comparison to last spring
“Better by leaps and bounds. We return most of our guys, as opposed to a lot of skill position guys last year not having a ton of experience. The quarterback position was the same deal. When we return a big majority of our starters and a lot of our playmakers, it showed today in practice where we were at.”
Defensive Lineman Tyler Batty | watch interview
On the first spring practice
“Great to be back doing what we love. It’s a short turnaround, a couple of months since we finished the season but it’s great to be back out on the field with everyone. Everyone’s just excited to get back out here and get back to playing football.”
On goals for spring
“Keep the knives sharp. There are a lot of perishable skills that we can’t necessarily practice without pads on. There’s a lot of young guys that need development and a lot of old guys that need to hone their craft.”
On D-line
“I feel like our D-line room right now is really young in general and there’s a lot of guys who haven't seen much playing time. It’s going to be fun to see them work and see what they can do. We’re a young group, but we’re excited to see what they can do.”
On biggest jump on defense
“Be perfect, right? I think just everybody doing their assignments, maintaining our physicality, and then just staying assignment sound and making sure our technique is right. I think if everyone does that we’ll have a really good defense come fall.”
On NIL
“NIL has been awesome and we’re just getting started. It’s had a huge impact on what I’ve had to do day-to-day. It gives me more time to focus on and study football, I think that’s going to be the biggest advantage. There’s a lot that goes into the game, there’s a lot of effort and preparation, and I think that NIL is huge because it allows college student-athletes to hone their craft a little bit more.”