Two weeks into BYU fall camp, the picture is getting clearer in some spots and murkier in others.
Saturday’s 102-play scrimmage at Lavell Edwards Stadium tilted to the offense, a sharp contrast from the first scrimmage of camp, when the defense won the day. That shift says plenty about where the Cougars are right now: Bear Bachmeier looks more comfortable, the skill talent is flashing, and the defense has plenty of speed. But there are still a few big questions hanging over this team as camp reaches its midpoint.
The biggest difference from last year might be Bachmeier himself. At this stage a year ago, BYU was still rotating three quarterbacks with the first-team offense, and Bachmeier was just beginning to sort things out.
This time around, he’s operating with much more confidence. He’s reading the defense better, attacking soft spots in coverage, and showing more confidence on deep throws.
Last year, there was a practice where he took multiple coverage sacks because he couldn’t find open receivers. Now, he looks decisive.
The gap between the two versions of Bachmeier is obvious in a practice setting.
That growth matters because BYU’s offense has real pieces around him. The tight ends have looked like the kind of weapons the staff expected, and the receiver group hasn’t looked like a unit that will drag the offense down.
Jojo Phillips has had his moments. Kyler Kasper has had his moments.
Legend Glasker has looked ready to play right away. Reggie Frischknecht has also turned in highlight plays, including touchdown catches in camp.
And then there’s LJ Martin, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, which only adds to the options Aaron Roderick has to work with. Put it all together, and BYU looks deep and talented at the skill spots.
The defense, for its part, has shown the kind of speed Kalani Sitake pointed out from day one of camp. Evan Johnson may be the fastest player on the roster, with Therrian Alexander III not far behind.
Cade Uluave moves like a linebacker who can run with anyone. Tommy Prassas has been in the backfield multiple times, and Jake Clifton has stood out with his speed as well.
On one snap, Kennan Pula closed a throwing window so quickly that it led to an accidental collision with Kila Keone.
There’s also been plenty of pop in the secondary and around the ball. Cannon DeVries delivered a hard hit to break up a pass, and true freshman Braxton Lindsey brought a thump when he took on tight end Noah Moeaki.
Still, two major questions remain.
The first is the pass rush. BYU has not yet shown who will emerge as its best edge threat.
Ideally, it comes from a defensive lineman who can consistently get after the quarterback. Last year, Jack Kelly was BYU’s best pass rusher, but he wasn’t asked to rush every down, and the result was a pass rush that came and went.
That can’t be the story this season if BYU wants to hit its goals. The Cougars need to make quarterbacks uncomfortable, and they won’t have endless time to sort through candidates.
The challenge is that camp makes that evaluation tough. Quarterbacks are in green non-contact jerseys, so it’s hard to know when a play would have become a sack.
Even so, BYU still needs someone to separate from the pack. Right now, that player hasn’t clearly emerged.
The other question is which receiver becomes the go-to option. Phillips, Kasper, Glasker and Frischknecht have all made a case through two weeks.
That’s a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem that won’t be fully answered until the games begin. BYU would benefit if one or two of them start to pull away over the next two weeks.
Then there’s the bigger backdrop around the program. This team is carrying a lot of preseason expectation and will likely open in the top 15 of the AP poll. It’s the first BYU team since 2022 that has had to live with that kind of hype, and that 2022 group did not handle it in a way that matched the expectations around it.
There’s also noise inside the athletic department, with obvious contention between Kalani Sitake and Brian Santiago. BYU’s attempt to quiet the rumors by posting on CougarBoard only added fuel.
Whether the anxiety around all of it is justified doesn’t really matter now. The noise is there, and it could be a distraction as the season gets closer.
BYU needs leadership to settle things down. Until then, the players have to keep their focus where it belongs.
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