Today is the first day of Fall Camp for BYU football. Its exciting! Most colleges will report today or tomorrow for fall camp. I am excited for this because this means football is almost here! In fact, exactly one month from today, on August 31st, BYU will play their first football game. Its against Southern Illinois and in Provo at LaVell Edwards Stadium at 6pm MT.

5 Things to Watch for at Fall Camp

1. There are handful of storylines to watch for as BYU kicks off fall camp. The first and most obvious one is the QB Battle. Sitake has said that its most likely between Gerry Bohanon, the transfer from Baylor, and Jake Retzlaff, last years starter for the last 4 games of the season. But BYU picked up a transfer commitment after spring ball from a wildcard who could push for the starting role in McCae Hillstead from Utah St. He has the running and playmaking ability while throwing the best deep ball according to Chase Roberts. That will be the top story line as BYU looks to name a starter hopefully in the next couple of weeks.
2. The second biggest storyline is the offensive line and running game. They were awful last year and because of it our running game struggled. LJ Martin is back after his freshman year in which he posted 518 rushing yards and 4 TDs. He split most of the time with Aidan Robbins. This year Martin will be the main focus with Miles Davis and Hinckley Ropati being mixed in. The RBs should be in great shape. BYU hired a new offensive line coach with a ton of experience. I am excited to see what he can do and how the o line plays this year.
3. The third biggest storyline is the defense. It will be year 2 under defensive coordinator Jay Hill. There should be improvement from this group that at times were really good and then really bad last year. This is the first full year that Hill has been able to coach the guys a full year and recruit the guys that he wants. He has pulled in some big time recruits in his first full year so the momentum is definitely going forward.
4. The fourth biggest focus will be similar to 3, how will the defense get more pressure on the QB especially from the defensive line. Tyler Batty returns as the star of the defensive line, defense, and maybe the whole BYU team. John Nelson and Blake Mangelson return for their senior years hoping to anchor the inside of the defensive line while Batty and Bagnah return after both starting last year to man the edge positions. With all 4 guys returning after playing last year, there should be more pressure on the QB.
5. Lastly, what will BYUs secondary look like? BYU has alway struggled in the secondary, but things could start to change soon. Micah Harper returns at safety after suffering an ACL injury last fall camp. Jakob Robinson is one of the best corners in the Big 12 and might also be one of BYUs best players. Marquee Collins, a transfer from Weber St, should earn the other starting spot as he has been playing really well during Spring ball, but still unproven. Mory Bamba, Marcus Mckenzie, and heralded freshman Tre Alexander could also push for playing time and a starting spot. But lots of questions after Harper and Robinson.

BYU Basketball Makes the Cut Lists for Top Recruits

Kevin Young who has started practices with the new BYU team has also started hitting the ground running on the 2025 class.

Xavion Staton

BYU has made the top 6 schools for 2025 top 25 prospect Xavion Staton. Staton is a 7 foot center and long and lanky. The other 5 schools are Arizona, USC, UNLV, Stanford, and Michigan. Staton is from Las Vegas and has stated that he wants to play basketball relatively close to home. BYU fits that groove. The only outlier from that statement in his top 6 schools are Michigan. Arizona is a top program and UNLV he would get to play at home. I imagine those are the top competitors along with BYU.

Staton is a rim running Center. He excels inside and is able to finish with ease. Staton is a great pick and roll player and is able to control his body knows how to finish. He is also a great shot blocker. He would be a great player for BYU and to pair him with AJ Dybantsa would create a dream come true type tandem.

Michael Simcoe

BYU also made the final 7 for 3 star 6’9 forward Michael Simcoe in the 2025 class. He plays very similarly to Richie Saunders. Simcoe has a high motor and gives a ton of effort. One recruit said that in all of the 2025 class they have never seen a motor like Simcoe. He plays the PF position and can also shoot. Simcoe also has great athleticism and wouldnt be a one and done type player. He would be a great guy to pair with these more skilled players. Similar to the team this year who have a lot of skilled players but need a motor guy like Saunders. You can check out some of his highlights here.

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