This preview is the fourth of a 12-part series breaking down the upcoming KU football schedule.
With BYU officially becoming a Big 12 Conference member when the calendar rolls over to July 1, it’s only appropriate that this week’s edition of the Booth Breakdown takes a peek at the Week 4 conference opener between the Cougars and Jayhawks.
BYU and KU have met just one time in their history, during the 1992 Aloha Bowl (Kansas won 23-20), but they now find themselves as conference foes. And BYU’s new chapter in the Big 12 will be under the command of eighth-year head coach Kalani Sitake.
During its 12th and final year as an independent, BYU went 8-5, and it now joins the conference with five consecutive winning seasons under Sitake. In the past year, BYU flourished behind fifth-year quarterback Jaren Hall, who was drafted 164th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in April, and it earned a 24-23 win over Southern Methodist in the New Mexico Bowl.
This season, however, Pittsburgh transfer Kedon Slovis is slated to be BYU’s starting quarterback come September, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick told reporters in April. Slovis threw for 2,397 yards and 10 total touchdowns last year, appearing in 11 games with the Panthers before throwing his name into the portal.
Aiding Slovis with the offense will be returning receiver targets Keanu Hill and Kody Epps. The pair combined for over 1,000 receiving yards last season with six or more touchdowns each.
BYU will not return its top three rushers from 2022, but there’s still plenty to fear in the backfield. The Cougars will look to transfer running backs Deion Smith (Colorado, one year remaining) and Aidan Robbins (UNLV, two years remaining) to replace the 817 yards and six touchdowns posted by now-Miami Dolphin Christopher Brooks last season.
The Cougars may look to returning sophomore running back Miles Davis. Davis broke out for 131 yards on 13 carries during a 38-24 win over Wyoming last September.
On defense, BYU will be under the command of first-year defensive coordinator Jay Hill, who comes to BYU after serving as Weber State’s head coach from 2014 to 2022.
The Cougars will return arguably their best pass rusher, third-year end Tyler Batty, this season after the Utah native ended 2022 as the Cougars’ sack leader (3.5) and fifth-best tackler (52).
Following Hill over from Weber State, cornerback Eddie Heckard comes to BYU with 30 pass breakups and 218 tackles through three years of college ball. Key returning linebackers include Ben Bywater (98 tackles) and Max Tooley (57 tackles and three interceptions).
Additionally, the linebackers room will get some help from Utah State transfer AJ Vongphachanh, who made 36 solo tackles last season and racked up 222 career tackles during four years with the Aggies.
BYU has all the pieces for a competitive first year in the Big 12. It’ll be a thorough exam for the Jayhawks, who look to capture their second consecutive conference opener since defeating West Virginia 55-42 in overtime on the road last time around.
