College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the BYU Cougars season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– BYU Schedule Analysis
– BYU Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2020 Record: 11-1 overall
Head Coach: Kalani Sitake, 6th year 38-26
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 13
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 66
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 34
BYU College Football Preview 2021: Offense
– This isn’t going to be the same offense that finished third in the nation in scoring and steamrolled over just about everyone, but it’s still going to be very, very good.
For starters, Zach Wilson is off being a New York Jet, a slew of other key parts are gone, and the schedule is about to get a whole lot tougher. That doesn’t mean there won’t be production and the O won’t go, but it’s not going to be nearly as dominant.
– It starts at quarterback, and the Cougars are okay. There isn’t another No. 2 overall pick in the draft, but both Baylor Romney and Jaren Hall are capable options who can each keep the attack going. They’re both experienced enough in the system to be ready to go, but it’s likely going to take all of fall camp to settle on the No. 1 guy.
It helps to get back a slew of good parts, even if top target Dax Milne is done. 6-3 junior Gunner Romney is a solid deep threat averaging close to 20 yards per catch last year, and Neil Pau’u is another big veteran who can stretch the field.
The real find last year was TE Isaac Rex, who stepped in for Matt Bushman and caught 37 passes with 12 scores. Throw in WRs Samson and Puka Nacua – they’re brothers – from the transfer portal, and this is one of the team’s biggest strengths.
– It’s not going to be the steamroller of an O line it was last year – again, combination of talent loss and better schedule – but it’ll be more than fine. You don’t get better by losing a tackle like Brady Christensen to the Carolina Panthers, but he’s not the only replacement with just two starters back.
There’s enough size and depth to keep plowing away for 220-pound sophomore Tyler Allgeier – he ran for 1,130 yards and 13 scores – and 6-1, 210-pound Lopini Katoa.
– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– BYU Schedule Analysis
NEXT: BYU College Football Preview 2021: Defense
4. BYU College Football Preview 2021: Defense
– Even with all of the changes and big losses, the offense will be fine. The defense, though, will take a big hit after finishing tenth in the nation in total defense and fourth in scoring D. Seven of the top ten tacklers need to be replaced, the pass rush has to ramp up, and the line needs an overhaul. It’s not a dire situation – the defense will be okay – but there will be a step back.
– The line. The Cougars have to find an anchor with the loss of massive brick wall Khyiris Tonga, and he’s not alone with three starters being replaced. There’s size, but the pass rush that was the one relative issue last season has to improve with a slew of new defensive ends. The interior starts with 6-2, 315-pound veteran Caden Haws, but the entire group will be one of the team’s bigger concerns going into fall camp. However …
– The linebackers will be terrific. Not having leading tackler Isaiah Kaufusi anymore doesn’t help, but the combination of sophomore Keenan Pili on the inside and Payton Wilgar and Max Tooley on the outside should be fantastic.
The pass defense allowed under 200 yards per game even without much of a pass rush to help the cause. The corners will be solid, but the safeties need work using Chris Wilcox and Zayne Anderson. On the plus side, hybrid linebacker/safety Chaz Ah You is back after missing most of last season – he came up with 31 tackles in 2019 – should be in for a huge year.
– What You Need To Know: Offense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– BYU Schedule Analysis
NEXT: BYU College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
BYU College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
Best BYU Offensive Player
RB Tyler Allgeier, Soph.
Lost a wee bit in the huge year from Zach Wilson and the passing game was the 1,130-yard, 13 touchdown season from the 5-11, 220-pound Allgeier. A home run hitter who can thump a bit, he averaged 7.5 yards per carry with a huge day against Navy to kick things off and a 173-yard performance against UCF to end the season. He might not be a workhorse, but when he gets a chance to show off his burst, look out.
2. TE Isaac Rex, RFr.
3. WR Gunnar Romney, Jr.
4. C James Empey, Jr.
5. PK/P Jake Oldroyd, Soph.
Best BYU Defensive Player
LB Keenan Pili, Soph.
The 6-3, 233-pounder was a nice get excellent size in the middle and the range and quickness to do more in the backfield. One of the team’s biggest linebackers, he’s a run stopper who finished second on the team with 72 tackles with two tackles for loss – he would’ve led the team in stops if he didn’t miss two games. He’s a steady force.
2. LB Payton Wilgar, Soph.
3. S George Udo, Soph.
4. LB Max Tooley, Jr.
5. LB/S Chaz Ah You, Jr.
Top Incoming BYU Transfer
WRs Puka Nacua & Samson Nacua
The already fantastic receiving corps got a whole lot better when it got the brothers Nacua transferring in. Samson is a little bigger – he’s coming over from Utah – but former Washington Husky Puka is the better of the two. They’ll both make an impact.
NEXT: BYU College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
BYU College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
BYU Biggest Key: Offense
Keep the new quarterback upright. Zach Wilson was No. 2-overall-pick good with his arm, his mobility, and his decision-making ability to make it all work, and Baylor Romney and Jaren Hall aren’t going to be able to match that. However, they’re both good passers who should shine – no matter which one gets the gig – with a loaded receiving corps to work with. Now they need time to work.
The offensive line has to replace three starters, and while the production should be fine, the combination of new tackles and new quarterback could be a bit of a problem early on.
BYU Biggest Key: Defense
The pass rush has to come even with new parts up front. The linebacking corps is deep enough and good enough to do its part to generate pressure behind the line, but the line needs to get more out of the defensive ends.
For all of the good things the BYU D was able to do, there weren’t enough hits on the quarterback and just five tackles for loss per game. The defense has to manufacture pressure from several parts.
BYU Key Player To A Successful Season
DT Caden Haws, RFr.
The quarterback situation is the biggest deal, and getting production out of the safeties and hoping for a big season from Blake Freeland at left tackle matters, but it all has to start up front.
Khyiris Tonga was a 321-pound rock in the middle of the line, and now he’s a Chicago Bear. The rest of the line needs to step up, but the 6-2, 315-pound Haws will get the first look on the nose to be the new anchor with Tonga gone. He’s got the size and talent, but Tonga was a good one.
BYU Key Game To The 2021 Season
Arizona, Sept. 4 (in Las Vegas)
30-27 over USC on September 14th of 2019. That’s the last win over a big-league team.
For all of the amazing things the 2020 BYU team did, it didn’t come up with a win over a Power Five team – it wasn’t its fault; it didn’t play any.
It rocked Boise State, rolled by UCF, and whacked Houston and beat San Diego State, but not getting a shot at one of the bigger league teams was a barrier to make a bigger national splash. Now the Cougars will get their chance from the start in Las Vegas.
Arizona is a team BYU should be able to beat, and it if it can, there’s a chance to make a major splash with Utah and Arizona State at home to follow.
2020 BYU Fun Stats
– 1st Half Score: BYU 305 – Opponents 94
– Average Yards Per Play: BYU 7.8 – Opponents 4.8
– Penalties: Opponents 76 for 693 yards – BYU 52 for 444 yards
NEXT: BYU College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
BYU College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
The 2020 team set a tone from the start with a dominant performance over Navy, and it didn’t let up in a fantastic season with only the blip at Coastal Carolina – thrown together at the final moment with no time to prepare for the 22-17 loss on the road – getting in the way.
It was a brilliant year in trying times for an independent program that had to piece a schedule from various parts to make it happen, and the result was the best season since the 11-2 run in 2009.
But there weren’t any games against Power Five programs. Now there are – but they’re all manageable.
Set The BYU Regular Season Win Total At … 8
There’s going to be a step back without Zach Wilson and a slew of key linemen, and the schedule matters.
The Cougars will win their share of games against big-name teams, but instead of 12 dates against the Group of Five world, eight games are against Power Five programs, the road trip to Georgia Southern isn’t a two-foot putt, and there’s a shot the trip up the road to Utah State isn’t going to be easy.
There are just enough 50/50 games to keep the year from being 2020 special, but noise will be made.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– BYU Schedule Analysis
