PROVO, Utah (AP) — BYU enters its first Big 12 Conference season seeking to establish a new defensive identity.
The Cougars overhauled their defense after routinely struggling to stop opponents a year ago, hiring Jay Hill as defensive coordinator and bringing in a slew of transfers to boost their talent level and depth. Only one defensive assistant, cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford, was retained.
Hill coached at Weber State for nine seasons, leading the Wildcats to four Big Sky Conference titles and six FCS playoff appearances before joining Kalani Sitake’s staff in December. Both were formerly assistants under Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and share a similar defensive philosophy.
“He and I see eye to eye on a lot of different things,” Sitake said.
For BYU, it means changing from a conservative drop-eight scheme that Hill’s predecessor, Ilaisa Tuiaki, often employed. Relying on that style designed to flood the passing lanes with only three defenders on the line of scrimmage became problematic against mobile quarterbacks who doubled as strong passing threats. BYU ranked 94th nationally in total defense (407 yard average) and 97th in scoring defense (29.5 point average).
Hill wants to build an aggressive and deep attacking defense, and said he's confident he has the right mix of players to fit his schemes.
“The thing that’s obvious to me right now is we got a bunch of guys that care, that want to do things right, that go hard,” Hill said. “That’s a great place to start. I think that’s where most great defenses are built.”
BYU dipped into the transfer portal to beef every defensive position group, headlined by Weber State transfer and FCS All-American Eddie Heckard and Utah State transfer AJ Vongphachanh. The Cougars needed an infusion of talent with games against multiple powerful offenses looming on the horizon, especially in the Big 12.
Will new talent coupled with Hill’s aggressive schemes equal success? The Cougars are counting on it.
“It’s more fun when you’re playing defense, but you’re basically playing offense, because you’re calling the shots,” linebacker Ben Bywater said. “You’re controlling the narrative. Jay Hill is a mastermind at this stuff. He knows what he’s doing.”
RAISING THEIR STOCK
Two notable BYU transfers bypassed the NFL draft in favor of a final college season. Kedon Slovis came to Provo after previous stops with USC and Pittsburgh while Heckard headed to BYU after four seasons at Weber State.
Slovis sees a BYU offense he said is tailored to his skills as a chance to prove he’s still an elite quarterback. He has thrown for 9,973 yards and 68 touchdowns over four seasons, but experienced diminished production in a run-oriented Pitt offense a season ago.
“I just wanted to have a year where I got to put my stamp of approval," Slovis said.
Heckard welcomed an opportunity to elevate his draft grade by facing pass-happy Big 12 offenses. He had 218 tackles, 30 pass breakups, seven interceptions and six forced fumbles over four years while facing mostly FCS opponents.
“I’ve always had confidence in myself and my game,” Heckard said. “I feel confident going against anybody on any team. I think I can play at the highest level for that reason.”
RUNNING DEEP
BYU built its reputation on high-flying passing offenses, but the Cougars may be equally bruising on the ground this season.
Aidan Robbins decided to join the Cougars after rushing for 1,011 yards and nine touchdowns at UNLV last season. BYU previously recruited Robbins out of high school before he signed with Louisville and later transferred to the Rebels.
“This offense allows me to showcase my versatility,” Robbins said. “It kind of suits my playing style."
Deion Smith left Colorado for BYU in the spring after leading the Buffaloes with 393 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season. He and Robbins join a loaded backfield that includes returning backs Miles Davis and Hinckley Ropati as well as freshman LJ Martin.
AIRING IT OUT
Slovis will have plenty of experienced targets to help him potentially rack up big numbers this fall. BYU returns four of its top six receivers from a year ago. Keanu Hill, Kody Epps, Chase Roberts and Isaac Rex all had more than 300 receiving yards in 2022. Hill led the Cougars with seven receiving touchdowns a year ago and ranked second with 572 receiving yards. Eastern Michigan transfer Darius Lassiter and UConn transfer Keelan Marion will also be in the mix.
SEASON OPENER
BYU will kick off its season by hosting Sam Houston in Provo on Sept. 2.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
