Will BYU's Kalani Sitake release a depth chart with Big 12 standardized injury reports?

PROVO — Injury reports are coming to the Big 12, at least in the conference's major sports.

The 16-team conference announced last week that it will begin releasing player availability reports, starting as early as three days before each game and as late as 90 minutes prior to kickoff, a standardized measure that is similar to confirmed injury reporting required by the SEC, Big Ten and ACC.

In other words, the Big 12 became the last of the Power Four conferences to mandate such a standardized injury report for football, as well as men's and women's basketball.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is already apparently finding ways around the new measure, telling local media that the Utes "probably won't release" a two-deep as has been standard practice.

"With the new health rule or the rule the Big 12 put out," he said, per KSL.com. "That's really all we'll release each week is who's available, who's not."

Whittingham has kept a strict policy during his 20-year head coaching career on the Hill about not divulging injuries to players unless they become season-ending, a move he calls a strategic advantage. His counterpart to the south, BYU's Kalani Sitake, who was once Whittingham's defensive coordinator has maintained a similar policy in Provo — though perhaps not as strict in Sitake's case as players have become prone to releasing such information themselves on social media.

Sitake, then, won't stand in the way of the new rules regarding player availability reports — and likely won't change his two-deep reporting, either.

"I don't mind putting a depth chart out," he said. "I can't speak for Kyle, but you know ... I actually think (the injury report) makes it easier for me. It makes it easy for all of us, and that part will be good."

With his usual dry sense of humor, Sitake also said he would "do what everybody tells us to do." Then he turned to football communications staffer Kenny Cox and asked if the team would continue to publish a depth chart in the weekly game notes.

After a response of "we'll see," Sitake replied. "So we'll probably have a depth chart."

"We'll see; I don't know," he added. "I think you can kind of figure it out. You guys see what's going on on the field, watch our practices, and have a feel for who's going to be on the field."

Different kind of mission

Bear Bachmeier being named BYU's first true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback wasn't the only QB news of the day Tuesday.

After practice, freshman quarterback Emerson Geilman read the mission call he received from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints off his phone while surrounded by his teammates.

When the former Bountiful High standout and Governor's State of Sports high school athlete of the year read his call to the Brazil Sao Paulo Interlagos mission, his teammates quickly swarmed the 6-foot-4, 207-pound passer who will leave after the 2025 season.

"I am so excited to give my life to God for the next two years after this football season," he wrote on social media, "and to serve as an official representative of Jesus Christ."

Putting a bow on camp

Tuesday was the only day of the week BYU football coaches and players were made available to the media as the Cougars wrapped up the 16 practices of training camp before turning their attention to the Aug. 30 season opener against FCS foe Portland State (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN+).

Like most teams by the middle of August — or earlier, in the case of the handful of teams playing Week Zero games this weekend — the Cougars are ready for it.

"It's been three weeks now, so we're ready to stop going offensive-vs.-defense and start preparing for a new opponent," fifth-year senior linebacker Jack Kelly said after practice. "It's been a great camp, and I think everyone is just really ready for the season to kick off."

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