PROVO, Utah – The BYU football team is flying under the radar entering the 2024 season.
The Cougars are projected to finish 13th in the Big 12 Conference. All projections have BYU finishing with another losing record and missing a bowl game.
To prove the predictions wrong, BYU will need several players to take big steps in their development.
Here are 10 players to watch as BYU prepares to kick off the 2024 season: If these players reach their potential, BYU will be a formidable team in the powerhouse Big 12 Conference.
1. L.J. Martin, running back
The sophomore running back drew rave reviews during head coach Kalani Sitake’s weekly press conference on Monday. Sitake noted Martin’s leadership qualities and knowledge of the offense. The ninth-year head coach said Martin has helped teach the freshman running back the offense.
Five things we learned from Kalani Sitake’s press conference #BYUagainst Southern Illinois.#BYUFootball #GoCougs https://t.co/1KIX0Q3msG
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 26, 2024
Much of the interest surrounding L.J. Martin has centered on his health. He was plagued by an upper-body injury that limited him in snaps in team practices early in fall camp. Martin took team snaps the final two weeks of camp.
Kalani Sitake said Martin is “ready to go” for Saturday’s game against the Salukis. BYU averaged 3.5 yards per carry last season and only had three games over 150 yards, so having Martin play at his best will be crucial to BYU’s success in 2024.
2. Caleb Etienne, left tackle
BYU’s offensive line has been a big focus in preparation for the 2024 season, and while every position on the offensive line is important, no position receives as much attention as the left tackle position.
Caleb Etienne will be tasked with guarding BYU’s left tackle for the start of the 2024 season.
All the snaps from fall camp #BYUCaleb Etienne is the left tackle.
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— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 7, 2024
It’s well-known that Etienne struggled at right tackle last season, but he never wavered in his commitment to BYU and his desire to turn his career around. Etienne was outstanding in BYU’s regular season finale last year against Oklahoma State.
New offensive line coach TJ Woods deployed Etienne to left tackle after spring practice, the position Etienne played at Oklahoma State.
If Etienne, who is 20 pounds lighter than last season, plays to his potential, BYU could be a surprise team this year. He will be a key factor in determining the outcome of BYU’s season this fall.
3. Logan Lutui, defensive end
The underrated “OR” on the depth chart for this week’s game against Southern Illinois is the outside edge spot, with Logan Lutui filling in as a co-starter with returning starter Isaiah Bagner.
The former Weber State transfer was injured early last season and his role on defense increased each week as he got healthier.
Lutui is a quick, athletic player who defensive ends coach Kelly Poppinga trusts, and he will look to play a key role in this defense in 2024.
4. Jake Retzlaff, quarterback
Jake Retzlaff performed better than Jerry Bohannon through the final three media viewing periods of fall camp.
Retzlaff has improved since last season, but will it be enough to turn BYU into a consistent offensive force capable of competing on a weekly basis in the Big 12? That remains to be seen.
Regardless of who is lining up at QB, #BYU OC Aaron Roderick believes the offensive line will remain the same even with Jake Retzlaff and Jerry Bohannon in the mix.#BYUFootball https://t.co/kgkdGXm7DU
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 26, 2024
It’s easy to forget that BYU signed Retzlaff in the 2023 recruiting cycle with the hopes that he would one day be their QB1, with Aaron Roderick and his staff believing he is on track to be BYU’s leading quarterback in the Big 12 era.
If his accuracy and arm strength from camp translates to games this season, Retzlaff could be an interesting topic of conversation in the Big 12 Conference.
5. Jack Kelly, linebacker
Jack Kelly has been a member of the first-team defenseman since spring training began last March.
There are high expectations for the former Weber State star. Are expectations too high? Maybe. But BYU desperately needs to produce a pass rush and, more importantly, a star on the defensive end beyond Tyler Battey.
Thursday’s Light Work Follow pic.twitter.com/wayDo0lpRn
— BYU Football (@BYUfootball) February 2, 2024
Kelly grew up riding BMX bikes and becoming a star in the weight room, and though he was a late bloomer in football, he has all the makings to be a defensive star as a SAM linebacker at BYU.
6. Jerry Bohannon, quarterback
Jerry Bohannon has been a solid performer all year at BYU and just wants a chance to play. After a shoulder injury that nearly ended his career in 2022, Bohannon has improved his play significantly from the spring to now.
Bohannon’s athleticism was on full display during fall camp, when he made a 45-yard dash. At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he’s built for the Big 12. Bohannon is the only quarterback in the new league to have won a Big 12 championship.
The big question for Bohannon is how quickly he was able to absorb the playbook compared to Retzlaff, who was a year ahead of him. There are similarities between the BYU playbook and the one Bohannon controlled at Baylor in 2021. Still, there will be a learning curve.
During a media day event in June, Bohannon said learning the playbook was his top priority.
7. Blake Mangelson, defensive tackle
BYU’s coaching staff didn’t panic when Danny Seiri departed for Arkansas after spring practice, as they had been impressed with Blake Mangelson’s performance as a first-team defensive tackle over the final two weeks of spring practice.
Mangelson has played defensive end the past three years, and his play in BYU’s win over Arkansas was a great example of his athleticism and the impact he can have on BYU’s defensive front.
Mangelson put on weight and moved to defensive tackle in order to put his best 11 on the field. What’s interesting about Mangelson is that he can still be used as a defensive end in an odd-numbered front.
8. Mark Collins, cornerback
BYU cornerbacks coach Gernaro Gilford viewed Weber State transfer Marque Collins as one of the leaders at cornerback along with Jacob Robinson during fall camp.
Collins was limited at times during camp as he worked to recover from a torn ACL he suffered with the Wildcats last season.
#BYU CB Marque Collins is excited to be back in Jay Hill’s defense. https://t.co/eiPXzQjypH#BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/VevcTvsIRu
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 2, 2024
Speaking on Coordinator’s Corner, Jay Hill said Collins is “starting to become his old self again.”
Two of Hill’s former backups at Weber State, Eddie Heckard and Camden Garrett, hit home runs at BYU last year, and Collins is expected to do the same.
9. Keanu Hill, tight end
In the age of the transfer portal, it’s pretty impressive to think that Keanu Hill has remained loyal to BYU his entire career. Hill is entering his sixth year at BYU and has the potential to have his best year yet as he gets acclimated to life as a tight end.
BYU’s coaching staff has raved about Hill’s talent as a tight end, with head coach Aaron Roderick saying during fall camp that he should have made Hill make the transition earlier in his BYU career.
BYU needs a standout tight end to emerge, and Hill is the prime candidate, but how will he perform as a blocker?
Seeing how BYU utilizes Hill as a tight end will be one of the more intriguing storylines this season.
10. Isaiah Glasker, linebacker
Isaiah Glasker is a starter at the ranger linebacker position on BYU’s defense. The ranger position is a hybrid between a linebacker and a safety. This is a role that is a perfect fit for Glasker, a former high school wide receiver with elite athleticism.
BYU linebackers coach Justin Ena told KSL Sports that Glasker has the potential to be the best player he has ever coached.
Glasker has been a fall training star for three straight years. Could 2024 be the year that his game production finally takes shape? I’m curious to know.
Mitch Harper is the BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12-3pm) on KSL News Radio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference. X: @Mitch_Harper.
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