Winds of change usher in BYU's first training camp with Big 12 on horizon

PROVO — Maybe it was the cooler air, or maybe it was all the new faces, but something felt different about BYU's first training camp of the 2023 season Tuesday afternoon.

The storm clouds that brought cool temperatures to much of the Wasatch Front dropped temperatures at practice time into the 80s from the triple digits of only a week earlier, which was perhaps the most welcome change offered to the Cougars.

But not the only one.

More than 50 new additions have joined the team since the Cougars' 24-23 win over SMU in the New Mexico Bowl last season, a group of transfer portal additions, junior college transfers, recently returned missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and true freshmen highlighted by a new quarterback (Pitt's Kedon Slovis), a new primary running back (UNLV's Aidan Robbins) and a new defensive coordinator (former Weber State coach Jay Hill), and the changes ran the gamut of the roster and coaching staff from there.

Head coach Kalani Sitake admitted it's "probably" the most change he's seen in a program in his coaching career, and several numbers confirm it; the nearly two dozen transfer portal additions is tied for the most in the Cougars' new conference, and has Sitake hoping his team can compete right away in their new home, despite the "unknowns."

"The unknowns can run and they're very athletic; that's a good sign," he said after wrapping up practice in helmets and shorts. "The players that are veterans that are here, returning players, have done a great job with PRPs and teaching the other guys. They're understanding the scheme and technique, and that's a huge credit to what the players have done and the leadership on our team currently."

Slovis is new, as is projected starting running back Robbins, who took snaps with the first team Tuesday after returning from offseason hand surgery. But the USC and Pitt transfer who is 27 yards shy of 10,000 passing yards in Division I football will find several familiar targets in Kody Epps, Keanu Hill and Chase Roberts, as well as tight end Isaac Rex to keep him comfortable.

Across the offensive line, Connor Pay returns at center to bolster preseason All-American left tackle Kingsley Suamataia, though a group of new linemen that includes Utah transfer Paul Maile, Oklahoma State's Caleb Etienne and Missouri State's Ian Fitzgerald are just the beginning of changes that are up front.

More changes are expected, too, said Slovis, who must feel like a veteran of the team after committing to the Cougars in December and spending most of the past nine months in Provo golfing, practicing and learning the playbook from offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick.

Every time a new player join the group, Slovis almost became more of a veteran by default.

"I think the culture here already allows us to fit in easily," he said. "(The coaches) are going to recruit guys that fit into the culture here. Guys here are going to want to be here, and they're here for the right reasons. Again, we're all in it together, and the guys who have been here bring us in, too."

If it seems like Slovis has been at BYU forever, then imagine how Micah Harper feels. The sophomore safety from Chandler, Arizona, is entering his fourth season with the Cougars — COVID-19 and injuries does weird things to eligibility — and the son of former Hawaii defensive back Kenny Harper who picked off Ty Detmer three times in 1990 wants to step into a leadership role in a secondary that also includes senior Malik Moore, junior Jakob Robinson and transfers Eddie Heckard and Kamden Garrett from Weber State, among others.

"I would say it went by fast; I feel like I just got here," said Harper, the team's third-leading tackler a year ago with 62 stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. "But I'm ready to step into that leadership role and lead this team."

In addition to finding leaders to replace two-year starting quarterback Jaren Hall and explosive receiver Puka Nacua, among others, the Cougars also have a few obvious holes to fill. Perhaps one of the most glaring is placekicker, where Boise State transfer Will Ferrin, former Wasatch High standout Matthias Dunn and freshman Jordan Kapisi are locked in a battle for the top spot.

The other key objective is developing depth for the Cougars' first season in a Power Five conference, something Sitake knows well from his days leading Kyle Whittingham's defense at Utah when the Utes first joined the Pac-12.

Even though BYU opens against FBS newcomer Sam Houston State and FCS foe Southern Utah at home, Sitake intimated he'd like to have the depth chart set as early as possible before the Sept. 2 opener against the Bearkats.

Plenty of changes are in the air in Provo, and Sitake is just getting started.

"Right now, there are a lot of great athletes that are competing for limited spots," he said. "In the next little bit, we'll get them as many reps as we can, then evaluate and see where we've got to go in two weeks' time."

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