BYU Football

LaVell Edwards Stadium was on full display Friday night.

As the BYU Cougars pulled off a last-minute, 38-35 victory over Oklahoma State University to move to 7-0 on the season, the stadium featured a stunning view of the Wasatch Mountains in Provo.

Man this setting is incredible. #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/LyU9QaIGaw

— Chad Burton (@burton_chad) October 19, 2024

BYU have the best setting in CFB? 🤯🏔️

(via @burton_chad) pic.twitter.com/zoHJoq3xjJ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 19, 2024

While the setting aided the viewing experience, the action on the field stole the show, with each team claiming a lead in the final minute.

The Cougars have leapt to an undefeated start in their second year in the Big-12 and held off an upset bid from the Cowboys that could have brought the team back down to earth.

BYU does still have some difficult matchups remaining, including away games against Utah and Arizona State, but the program currently looks like the favorite to claim the conference's bid into the College Football Playoff.

If they don't claim it but still qualify in the field, a playoff game could find it's way to LaVell Edwards Stadium. If that occurs, the setting will surely live up to the moment.

HEIGHT: 6'2½"

WEIGHT: 223

HAND: 9⅞"

ARM: 31⅛"

WINGSPAN: 74⅜"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.55

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 30"

BROAD: 9'10"

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POSITIVES

— Brave in the pocket. Willing to hold onto the ball and play from condensed throwing platforms.

— Good pocket movement. Slides around with a controlled base under him and with his eyes down the field.

— Clean operator when in rhythm. Plays with proper footwork and a smooth, repeatable throwing motion.

— Adequate accuracy, particularly to the short and intermediate ranges. More of a touch thrower.

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NEGATIVES

— Arm strength wavers at times. Struggles to generate velocity when knocked off his spot. Concerning given his injury history.

— Athletic testing does not show up on film outside the pocket. Not really a scrambling threat; does not often pull away from defenders.

— Too many plays where he is far too aggressive given his physical limitations. Leads to contested throws and interceptions.

— Production waned each season, partially because of injuries.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 8 G, 153-266 (57.5%), 1,716 YDS (6.5 AVG), 12 TD, 6 INT; 29 ATT, -41 YDS (-1.4 AVG), 3 TD

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NOTES

— Born Apr. 11, 2001

— 3-star recruit in USC's 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred from USC to Pitt in 2022, then from Pitt to BYU in 2023

— 45 career starts

— 2019 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year

— Attended 2024 Shrine Bowl

— Minor elbow injury in 2019; shoulder injury late in 2020; ulnar nerve injury and strained elbow tendon in 2023

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OVERALL

Kedon Slovis is an experienced player with enough pocket maturity and accuracy to stick around in the NFL.

Slovis started as a true freshman for USC back in 2019, taking over for JT Daniels. Slovis' command of the pocket and accuracy immediately allowed him to succeed with a few NFL pass-catchers at his disposal.

Despite sporting a firmly average build, Slovis is fearless in the pocket. He does not mind taking hits to get throws out. Rarely is it ever Slovis' first instinct to leave the pocket at the first sign of trouble. Instead, he more often shows efficient pocket movement while keeping his eyes down the field. Slovis very much operates to see plays through from the pocket.

Slovis is also a reliable operator when kept clean, especially in the 1-15 yard range. He plays with smooth, rhythmic footwork and a repeatable throwing motion. Those skills allow Slovis to throw with good touch accuracy to the short and intermediate range.

With all of that being said, Slovis struggles when things go haywire. For as tough as he is in the pocket, Slovis lacks the arm talent to generate velocity from compromised positions. His arm talent is mediocre as well, so losing anything in those moments is detrimental to his ability to guide the ball.

The problem is that Slovis too often tries to make high-risk throws anyway. He is aggressive and creative to a fault given his middling physical skills. There are too many times where Slovis needs to let a play die and live for the next down, but he instead jams a throw into traffic. He won't get away with that in the NFL.

If Slovis can better understand his own skill set and play within himself, he can be a very effective backup. He already operates well from the pocket and throws the 1-15 yard range well enough to be useful. With that said, Slovis is a low-ceiling prospect who will likely top out as a capable spot starter.

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GRADE: 5.6 (Backup/Draftable — 6th/7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 226

POSITION RANK: QB9

PRO COMPARISON: Mike White

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 326

HAND: 10⅝"

ARM: 34¼"

WINGSPAN: 82⅛"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.04

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL: 28"

BROAD: 9'2"

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POSITIVES

— Thick, strapping build with evenly dispersed weight throughout his frame, good arm length and big hands.

— Shows very good overall burst and quickness to get to his landmarks on combo blocks and climbs with the mass and force to uproot and wall off defenders.

— Easy mover on climbs and pulls to intersect and seal off second-level targets.

— Has the necessary range and redirect ability to stay at tackle and play on an island.

— Primarily uses his inside hand to initiate contact in pass protection with a light, effective outside hand to circle punch, bait and disrupt the timing of rushers.

— Uses a potent snatch-trap technique to steal away leverage on leaning rushers.

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NEGATIVES

— Upright playing style with inconsistent hand placement creates easy access into his frame and/or being late to pinch off defenders working across his face.

— Hit-or-miss processing skills with an unrefined grasp of depth, spacing and body positioning leads to drifting against wide rush alignments and losing levels on stunts.

— Has a loose, reckless element to his approach that leads to attempted kill shots and whiffs against slippery defenders.

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2023 STATISTICS

— Team captain

— 10 starts at left tackle

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NOTES

— Born Jan. 18, 2003

— 5-star tackle recruit, per 247Sports

— Led his high school team to four consecutive state championship victories

— Originally committed to Oregon and played in one game during a redshirt season in 2021 before transferring to BYU prior to the 2022 season

— 22 career starts split between left (10) and right (12) tackle

— Lions right tackle Penei Sewell is his cousin

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OVERALL

Kingsley Suamataia is a two-year starter inside BYU's RPO-heavy, balanced (52-48 run-pass split), zone-based run scheme with counter runs mixed in. He has a broad, thick frame and build with good arm length, big hands and easy movement skills.

Suamataia is light out of his stance in pass protection with very good quickness to get to his spots, and he has the range to carry rushers up the arc to protect the corner. He has a patient, low-hand carriage setup in his sets with a light outside hand to bait rushers before primarily initiating contact with his inside hand to strike and widen rushers outside.

While Suamataia has the foundation in place to play on an island in the NFL, he will drift and overset to create a soft inside shoulder and has an upright playing style that allows quick access into his frame against speed to power. He's also unrefined when it comes to spacing, depth and recognizing stunts, games and late-developing blitzes that creates leakage and penetration.

Suamataia's burst and quickness get him to his landmarks and fits on time, and he has the mass to jar defenders on contact before creating seals and alleys off his backside on down blocks, climbs and pulls. He is an asset on the move with the ability to track, intersect and blot out smaller targets.

Suamataia's pad level, hand placement and sustain skills are hit or miss against moves across his face when he has to adjust his aiming points on the fly, leading to him getting overextended and falling off blocks too quickly looking for a kill shot. He also needs to refine his footwork on backside cut-offs to prevent stepping under himself and falling behind his target.

Overall, Suamataia has the physical tools of a starting tackle with an unrefined skill set that is built on flashes rather than proven consistency. But he'll be only 21 when he gets drafted, and he has the runway to add polish to his game and bridge that gap within his first contract in an RPO/play-action based system that can help bring him along slowly.

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GRADE: 7.5 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 37

POSITION RANK: OT6

PRO COMPARISON: Austin Jackson

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 207

HAND: 9 1/2"

ARM: 29 3/4"

WINGSPAN: N/A

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40-YARD DASH: 4.62

3-CONE: 6.97

SHUTTLE: 4.19

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

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POSITIVES

— Very good arm strength. Easy velocity to throw outside the numbers.

— Quick, efficient and malleable release. Can adjust and quickly flick the ball out.

— Flashes of high-level accuracy on NFL throws.

— Above-average ability to escape the pocket and create.

— Above-average athlete. Enough to effectively scramble and live outside the pocket.

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NEGATIVES

— Undersized. On the shorter and smaller side. Will be hard to survive in the pocket.

— Inconsistent ball placement. Misses more routine throws than he should.

— Poor processor within structure. Takes cheap shortcuts too often. Struggles to see and react to moving parts in coverage.

— Tends to hold the ball too long due to a blend of indecisiveness and an inclination to create outside of structure.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 248-376 (66.0%), 3,171 YDS (8.4 AVG), 31 TD, 6 INT; 86 ATT, 350 YDS, 3 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: March 24, 1998

— 3-star recruit in 2016 class, per 247 Sports' composite rating

— 25 career starts

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OVERALL

Jaren Hall has a bundle of athletic traits and tools to work with, but he's an undersized and old prospect who may need years of development before he's ready for action.

In terms of arm talent, Hall checks every box. He has a quick, clean release that he can mold and adapt to any situation. Hall also rips the ball with great velocity, giving him access to tight-window throws and NFL throws outside the numbers. Better yet, Hall flashes moments of impeccable touch, especially on seam and corner routes. He needs to find consistency in that regard, but he has the potential.

Hall is also a capable athlete. He's a bouncy mover inside the pocket and has the stop-start explosiveness to leave the pocket in a hurry when he needs to. Although he isn't a top-tier rushing threat, Hall has enough juice to scramble for efficient chunks of yardage and make defenses respect his athleticism. That athleticism also serves him well as a creator outside the pocket, a play style he often leans into.

With that said, Hall is a 25-year-old prospect who has a long way to go as a processor. He doesn't have great pre-snap vision, so he often struggles to identify blitzes or anticipate where windows in coverage should be. Likewise, Hall's post-snap processing is a roller coaster. He plays a beat late within structure and regularly passes up open throws for the chance to hunt for late downfield throws or bail the pocket. That isn't a sustainable NFL play style, especially at his size and with his good-not-great athleticism.

If Hall were three years younger and had more upside to develop, he might be worth a gamble on Day 2. However, he is already 25 and has a significant way to go before he's ready to start. Hall's athletic ability, arm talent and ability to create off-script make him worth stashing as a backup or QB3, but the age and size issues make him less likely to his his ceiling than other similar prospects.

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GRADE: 6.1 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 182

POSITION RANK: QB8

PRO COMPARISON: Matt Corral

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'8"

WEIGHT: 302

HAND: 10"

ARM: 33 7/8"

WINGSPAN: 81 7/8"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.98

3-CONE: 7.46

SHUTTLE: 4.71

VERTICAL: 37"

BROAD: 10'0"

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POSITIVES

— Can effectively track, line up and fit into contact on screens and at the second level on climbs

— Works well in unison with his left guard on zone combo blocks to timely overtake and release

— Shows adequate to solid initial and lateral quickness to cut off the backside of outside zone

— Uses independent hands in pass-protection with a strong inside hand presence to latch and widen rushers up the arc

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NEGATIVES

— Plays with marginal leverage and pad level

— Below-average physicality with a tendency to fit into contact rather than explode or drive to finish with power

— Average change-of-direction and redirect skills that leave him a tick late cutting off moves across his face

— Helped extensively in pass-protection with scheme and chip help

— Gains little if any ground out of his stance in pass-protection that causes him to drop his outside foot and swing his hips open early against speed off of the edge, resulting in narrow base and short corner

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 starts at left tackle

— Third team AP All-American selection

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NOTES

— Former 3-star tight end/defensive end recruit out of Herriman High School in Utah

— Was a standout athlete at Herriman with state titles in the shot put and javelin, an all-state selection in baseball and a three-time team captain of the football team. Freeland also holds the 6A Utah state record in the javelin throw

— His father (football), mother (basketball) and sister (track and field) were athletes at BYU

— 41 career starts split between each tackle spot; 26 at LT and 15 at RT

— Set the combine record for offensive linemen in the vertical with a jump of 37"

— Accepted an invite to the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama

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OVERALL

Blake Freeland is a four-year starter inside BYU's RPO/screen heavy offense and zone-heavy run game with 41 career starts at both tackle spots, including 13 starts at left tackle in 2022. He has a tall, narrow and high-cut frame with good arm length and solid athletic ability.

Freeland gains minimal ground out of his stance as a pass-protector and benefits from a quick passing game with extensive RPOs, screens and chip help from backs and tight ends. He is able to engulf rushers using his towering height and length on RPOs and play-action and uses independent hands to work combination strikes to help stay balanced. On true drop-back passes against widely aligned rushers his footwork becomes problematic as he quickly has to open his hips and drop his outside foot to protect the corner, simultaneously resulting in a narrow base and short corner. Coupled with an upright, high playing style, this leads to a tardy anchor against speed to power with a habit of dropping his head into contact.

Freeland is a functional zone run blocker with solid overall quickness and good understanding of fits and timing to overtake and release on combo blocks and cut off the backside 4i or 3-technique defensive tackle. He is graceful on the move in a straight line and can close space on smaller targets to cover them up but will struggle breaking down in space and redirecting on the fly.

Overall, Freeland is an experienced but largely untested tackle prospect who is a functional zone run-blocker with a large frame and some eye-popping testing numbers, but he has sluggish footwork in pass-protection with middling leverage or power that will make it difficult to carve out more than a backup role in the NFL.

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GRADE: 5.8 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)

OVERALL RANK: 209

POSITION RANK: OT13

PRO COMPARISON: Conor McDermott

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

BYU offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his home state of Hawai'i on Friday.

On behalf of the entire BYU Football family, our thoughts and prayers are with Sione's family and friends during this extremely difficult time.

Rest in Love Sione. God be with you till we meet again. pic.twitter.com/Bn0oW4kylY

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 31, 2022

"We are extremely saddened to learn of the tragic death of one of our brothers, Sione Veikoso," head coach Kalani Sitake said in a statement. "His passing is heartbreaking to all of us. We offer our deepest condolences and prayers to his family as we share in their grief. Our love for you is forever, Sione!"

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported a 15-foot retaining wall at a home in Kailua collapsed and trapped three construction workers.

Veikoso was one of three people trapped under the rubble. Firefighters rescued two of the workers, who were in serious but stable condition. Veikoso was pronounced dead at the scene.

"He was a gentle giant who loved his family," said his cousin Joshua Kava. "He was reliable and caring."

The 6'7", 305-pound redshirt freshman began his college career at Arizona State after completing a mission in Brazil for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He transferred to BYU in July and appeared in the Cougars' 52-26 win over Utah Tech on Nov. 19.

BYU beat SMU 24-23 in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 17. Veikoso's family told the Star-Advertiser he was to fly back to school next week.

Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis announced Saturday via social media that he is transferring to BYU.

Slovis entered the transfer portal on Dec. 5. BYU will be his third school in what will be his fifth season in 2023. In addition to Pitt, he also suited up for the USC Trojans from 2019-2021.

I will always be grateful for Coach Narduzzi and the time I got to spend with all of my teammates at the University of Pittsburgh.
I’m excited for this new chapter and can’t wait to get to work. #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/yg0Sa4rXP6

— Kedon Slovis (@Kedonslovis) December 24, 2022

The BYU staff was intrigued by the former Pitt quarterback's "level of accuracy," according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. He is entering his final year of eligibility in 2023 and will compete for BYU's starting quarterback job, Thamel added.

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick praised Slovis in a statement, via Sean Walker of KSL.com:

"Kedon is an effortless passer, great leader and one of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football. I've enjoyed watching his calm demeanor. He is always poised, never too high or too low. I have been so impressed with his methodical approach to this decision to come to BYU. I can't wait for him to join us in January."

In his lone season at Pitt, Slovis completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 2,397 yards and 10 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 11 games. The transfer of star wide receiver Jordan Addison to USC heavily impacted the team's aerial attack.

Still, Slovis was far more accurate during his three seasons at USC, completing 68.4 percent of his passes for 7,576 yards and 58 touchdowns against 24 interceptions in 27 games.

BYU finished the 2022 season with an 8-5 record and is preparing for a move to the Big 12 in 2023 after being independent since 2011. Having played in both the Pac-12 and ACC, Slovis should help with that transition.

The addition of Slovis comes after former Cougars quarterback Jaren Hall, who spent the last two seasons as BYU's starter, declared for the 2023 NFL draft.

UCLA also expressed interest in adding Slovis this winter, according to Walker.

The Big 12 will add four new schools in the summer of 2023.

Central Florida, Cincinnati, Houston and BYU will officially join the conference next summer.

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco announced Friday the AAC has reached early-exit agreements with UCF, Cincinnati and Houston that will take effect July 1, 2023, and allow them to move to the Big 12.

UCF, Cincinnati and Houston are officially headed to the Big 12 in 2023. pic.twitter.com/70XfFtxuZQ

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) June 10, 2022

The Big 12 announced in September that all four schools would join the conference "no later than the 2024-25 athletic year."

Per ESPN's Heather Dinich, AAC bylaws require schools to give a 27-month notice before they leave in addition to paying a $10 million buyout fee. The earliest exit date for the schools if they abided by those rules would have been July 1, 2024.

Aresco told Dinich the AAC was willing to negotiate a higher exit fee that would allow UCF, Cincinnati and Houston to leave early:

"We typically do, because it's not a great situation when you know somebody's leaving. Often you can mitigate some of that by just again getting a larger exit fee and having them leave earlier so we'll certainly be willing to negotiate that as we've done in the past and as other conferences have done in the past, but I can't tell you precisely yet at this point, nobody's indicated what year."

Per Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, the three schools are paying $18 million apiece to leave early after the AAC initially sought $45 million.

All of these moves come after Texas and Oklahoma accepted invitations in July to join the SEC from the Big 12.

Per Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, the 2024-25 athletic year is "still a more realistic target date" for the Longhorns and Sooners to leave.

If that ends up being the case, the Big 12 will have 14 members for the 2023-24 athletic year.

Dreary weather in Louisiana couldn't bring down the UAB Blazers, who defeated No. 13 BYU 31-28 on Saturday to win the 2021 Independence Bowl.

Heavy rain in the Shreveport area briefly delayed kickoff, but it cleared up as the game kept going.

Both starting running backs dominated on the ground. DeWayne McBride racked up 183 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries. Tyler Allgeier carried the ball 27 times for 192 yards and three scores in the loss.

Trea Shropshire scored the game-winning touchdown for UAB with 6:17 remaining in the fourth quarter. He caught a 14-yard pass from Dylan Hopkins in the end zone after BYU took a 28-24 on its previous possession.

BYU came into the bowl game riding a five-game winning streak. The offense was averaging 48.5 points in its final four games of the regular season.

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Notable Game Stats

• Dylan Hopkins, QB (UAB): 19-of-23, 189 yards, 3 TD, INT
• DeWayne McBride, RB (UAB): 28 carries, 183 yards, TD
  
• Gerrit Prince, TE (UAB): 4 receptions, 43 yards, 2 TD
• Baylor Romney, QB (BYU): 15-of-23, 195 yards
  
• Tyler Allgeier, RB (BYU): 27 carries, 192 yards, 3 TD
  
• Gunner Romney, WR (BYU): 3 receptions, 55 yards
  

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This turned out to be a back-and-forth high-scoring affair. UAB's scoring outburst was especially surprising because it only ranked 59th in the nation in points per game during the regular season.

The Blazers looked like they were going to dominate right out of the gate.

After both teams traded punts on their first possession, UAB scored touchdowns on consecutive drives to go up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

McBride scored the second one on a 64-yard run. He showed no lingering effects from the ankle injury suffered in the regular-season finale against UTEP that kept him out for the entire second half.

BYU stormed back in the second quarter with two scores of its own to tie the score at 14.

The Blazers regained the lead before halftime with a nine-play, 78-yard drive that was capped off by Gerrit Prince's 23-yard touchdown catch from Hopkins.

Allgeier tied the score for BYU with a 62-yard touchdown run. The sophomore running back set a new school record for rushing yards in a season in this game.

Tyler Allgeier having an unreal season 😳 pic.twitter.com/Fi7E0KrQTM

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) December 18, 2021

UAB regained the lead with a field goal on its first possession of the second half.

BYU responded with a 52-yard scoring drive, capped off by Allgeier's touchdown from one yard out. The Cougars took their only lead of the game, 28-24, at that point.

BYU's only turnover of the game came at the worst possible moment. Samson Nacua caught a pass at UAB's 28-yard line, but he lost possession of the ball and Mac McWilliams recovered it.

The Blazers picked up four first downs to run out the final 3:18 of regulation and secure the win. Their nine wins this season are tied for the second-most in program history.

Even though BYU's season ended on a down note, head coach Kalani Sitake has the program trending in the right direction. The Cougars have won at least 10 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing it four times in a row from 2006 to 2009.