BYU MAILBAG: Who else steps up at running back? Jake Retzlaff in 2025? Where can BYU find six wins?

Intro welcome back everybody it's Jeff Hansen we're back we're talking BYU Sports again it's part two of our mailbag got so many good questions couldn't Whittle them down and it's fall camp and there's just not a lot of new news that is happening Shout Out New Heights not a lot of new news that is happening out of Camp every coach is being koi a little bit weird we'll get news this week as Camp officially comes to a close and BYU starts moving into to prep for Southern Illinois That's How close we are it's almost time for game prep it's almost time for the season we're two weeks away football's here football's here it's right around the corner we're almost there all right part two of the mailbag I've got eight more questions to tackle today so apologies if this gets a little bit long like last video was but they're good questions it's good content I'm not going to apologize for that let's get Whos on BYUs 2025 recruiting board right into it the first question that I have here it seems like Austin pay and McKay Madson maybe Drew Kofi are the only High three star recruits left on BYU's 2025 board are there others who fans don't know about and are there some guys who flip and then we go through some names uh that's a lot of questions in one so let's get into each of them individually those are the headliners yes Austin pay McKay Matson those are the headliners of this class Drew Cofield has told me that he's gonna come and take a visit sometime during the season so he's obviously on BYU's board as well uh those are those are the big names that are left yeah I mean that that's really kind of it and then are there names that are going to flip uh there's names that BYU is going to try to flip by's made an effort at Sam Turner I don't think that one happens but it's still possible they're still trying to do what they can uh the vete vete I think he possibly could flip his brother kppi vete is already committed so there's a there's already an in there there's a lot of uh momentum a lot of reason to believe that he could flip and the tamy peo BYU will continue to try yeah BYU is going to continue to try a lot of people myself included thought BYU was in the leader and then he ended up committing to Stanford just a couple of weeks ago uh BYU will continue to try and flip him are there anybody else that people don't know about I mean yes not anybody that I know about right now I know BYU's actively evaluating more defensive tackles so there's going to probably be some new offer that are extended those might be the guys who are committed to other schools those might be the guys who are are under the radar as as BYU moves down the priority list and things like that so yes there are some guys but we're in the transfer portal era as well and that has to be taken into account it's it's always a little bit funny and this cycle of recruiting Because of early Signing Day because of the transfer portal if you look at the uncommitted recruits in the class of 2025 right now there's not very many of them with Summer official visits and and that portal looming where where teams can just go to the portal instead of finding guys in high school late in the cycle you're seeing more and more players secure their spot in the summer which leaves a lot of room for for those late bloomers who don't develop until they're Junior going into their senior year and then into their senior years leaves room for Jo guys and it leaves room for players who who maybe committed early and then don't feel love as much from their uh the school that they committed to so maybe they flip late it's kind of an interesting cycle and it feels a little bit like it's false calm right now like the eye of the storm that everything's kind of quiet really across the board a lot of teams are moving towards 2026 you're seeing a lot more attention there but 2025 is not done nobody signed anything yet so I do think we're g to have another influx I think BYU will be right there included and they have to be I mean there's there's just not enough uh in the class right now I really like the the recruiting class right now but it's lacking some Headliners and it's lacking some defensive tackle so yes there there's got to be more there uh okay very simple question here question number two o line improved very simple answer yes they have we've talked about Where can BYU find six wins it quite a bit on this channel why I think they will be better so check out some of those previous videos for more details but yes I think the oine has improved and I think TJ Woods is the real deal next question what six games can we real realistically win this season are there more than six we showed progress at the end of last season even though we lost those games to U and Oklahoma State I don't think there's a single game on BYU's schedule that BYU cannot win that includes Utah that includes Kanas State I I think that BYU can win every single game I think BYU could realistically lose 10 games 11 games even I mean Wyoming is no gimme this schedule is tough but BYU is is not completely out of things I don't think that BYU just goes and gets blown out for for seven or eight games I I just maybe I'm wrong maybe I'm a homer but I don't see that happening but can I see BYU can I see a path to BYU beating Kansas State yeah I can it's Avery Johnson's first true Road game BYU is gonna be Lev Edwards Stadium is going to be packed BYU is gonna want to make a statement Kansas State's a very very good team but Provo is a tough place to play uh playing at elevation home field advantage all those things we saw what happened all the way back in when was it 2019 when Keen slovis was a a true freshman quarterback at USC and he was throwing to guys who are all in the Pro Bowl now Micah Pitman and and and and and Alan Ros Brown I mean there was all kinds of Talent on that USC wide receiver core Kaden slovis looked terrible in that game BYU confused him the crowd rallied him uh rattled him rather it's tough right I mean tough winning games on the road is hard that'll be the first one for a young Young quarterback I think Kansas State BYU could beat him I think Kansas State's very good and they could win the Big 12 too they could come in and beat BYU by three scores I just there's not any game where I feel like BYU is playing Georgia and there's just absolutely no chance I think Utah's close to that game I think Utah is going to be really tough that is in my mind the toughest game followed maybe closely by UCF I think that's going to be a really tough game for BYU but I think BYU can beat Utah right B Utah was supposed to walk the floor walk the wipe the floor with Utah holy cow Utah was supposed to beat BYU in 2021 they didn't right Utah was supposed to beat BYU by a lot in a lot of games even during that nine game losing streak and BYU kept it close I I just don't think that BYU has any game that they simply cannot win now the most likely six for a win I mean it's obvious right it's Wyoming it's Southern Illinois uh it it's Houston I think it's Baylor I think it's Arizona State then that sixth one is up in the I don't think it's SMU I think SMU is a very good team I think BYU can beat SMU but I think SMU is a very good team in fact according to ESPN's FBI that's the least likely win for BYU this season is ATU something like a 19% win chance or or whatever that metric is over there at fpi uh so I yeah I I think BYU can win six games I think there's six game I think there's a path that BYU could win eight or nine games I I also think BYU could go two and 10 uh this I'm excited for this season because of that none of these teams feel insurmountable but none of them are gimmies either it should be really really fun to follow which BYU Alum has the best chance to make their NFL roster out of Eden slovis jeren Hall Aiden Robbins Max tle Samson Naka uh I mean it says Etc we could extend this to everybody and it's like ah Fred Warner and pukan akua those are the guys well so let's just stick to the names that are listed here I don't think Kaden slovis makes that roster uh that doesn't mean he won't make another roster but I I don't think it's going to happen in Indie uh I think that jiren Hall is on his way out he did not play particularly well in the Vikings first preseason game even with JJ McCarthy going down to injury uh Minnesota quickly went and signed Matt Coral so I I think jiren Hall is on his way out uh Aiden Robbins that one's that's always been an uphill battle uh maybe he's played well out in cevent but I I don't see that one happening so it comes down to Max Tuli and Samson NOA I'm going to give the edge to Tuli because of what Tuli has done at BYU Tuli proved that he can be a special teams player uh I don't know if Max Tuli if he was only a linebacker I don't know if he's making that roster he's played exceptionally well at Houston but I don't know if he's played well enough to crack the two deep at linebacker but he's proven he's versatile and he's proven he's willing to play special teams and he's played special teams really really well so I think that Max Tuli could make that 53 man Samson DEA could as well but he he's limited right he's a wide receiver that's it Max Julie play a couple of different spots so I'm giving the edge to Tuli next question without a bowl Who is on the hot seat game this year who do you think would be on the hot seat from the coaching staff everyone all of them every single coach uh and I think that includes Jay Hill and the defensive coach as well uh the the defensive coaches have had a lot of of leeway and they should they had a big big job to come in take over for Elisa tuak repair that roster and start being competitive I think they're well on their way to doing that and being very successful however the results on the field were not good last year if they come in and they they aren't good again this year well that would surprise me but if they're not good again this year then then they're going to be on the hot seat Aaron Rodrick I think is on the hot seat today Kanani satake he's there as well uh so everybody without a bowl game I think that everybody is is potentially on the hot seat I mean all of them are and that's just kind of the reality of the situation of where BYU is at next question I've been hearing a lot about the tight ends but no talk of Jackson Bowers what's happening there uh before we get into Jackson Bowers let's talk about some of the other tight ends who are in the room rer Swanson keano Hill Ethan Erikson yeah there's been a a considerable a considerable amount of attention and hype and conversation about those guys and deservedly so they're they're very good players but not a lot about Jackson Bowers and so maybe to explain that or or at least offer up a theory let's look at bod schoonover bod skover was a big-time recruit as well for BYU he was a big deal and he came to BYU and for two years he really hasn't done much and the rest of the defensive ends aside from Tyler baddy hadn't done much either and I think as fans it's really easy to say well what's wrong with bod schoonover he couldn't beat out those guys who were not uh producing how could bod not beat those guys out is he a bust now bod schover is entering his third year of the program he's still just a red shirt sophomore and he's firmly the the backup to Tyler baddy right now he's gonna play a lot this year and he's well positioned to have two years where he's the guy coming off the edge once Tyler baddy goes to the NFL the point to that is it takes time I think we have a tendency to say that true freshmen are ready and even if the guys aren't ahead of true freshmen aren't producing those true freshmen might not be ready those return missionaries might not be ready now I thought that Jackson Bowers because of his blocking ability and how physical he is I thought he'd get on the field even potentially last year and I thought we'd hear more Buzz about him this year but that doesn't mean he's not he's a buz that doesn't mean anything like that it doesn't mean he's going to change positions or anything like that either it means that yeah he had a little bit of room to grow and rer Swanson's a freak I mean that this just kind of the nature of it and keano Hill is a natural tight end he's been there he's experienced he knows his stuff Jackson Bowers he got hurt he dealt with some injuries last year so that kind of hurt his true freshman campaign he's still just a red shirt freshman and so like B schoonover like we have this tendency to want to say well if he's not playing now is he ever gonna play Jackson Bowers could sit on the depth chart sit on the Scout teams you know B be buried on the two deep and then come back and still have three years as BYU starting tight end we like to put a lot of pressure on highly recruited freshmen and maybe that's deserved maybe it's not I don't know I'm not here to debate that but what I'm saying is I don't think it's time to write Jackson Bowers off I think because of that injury last year he just had a little bit more development he needed to do I think we're gonna see him play this year probably starts on special teams but I think we're gonna see Jackson Bowers I still think he's going to be very very good that Talent is is undeniable uh Who else steps up moving on to the next question outside of LJ hinley and Miles who are the running backs we need to keep an eye out for will they play feel like miles is always offseason MVP with his workouts he posts but his whole career we hardly see him on the field he's been hurt a lot I mean that that's that's just the reality of his career he's been hurt uh also him posting his workouts like I don't really care a lot of people post their workouts that's great like workouts are are what they are if if we're allowing ourselves to be hyped up because of a workout video that's on us not the player I mean players are just sharing workouts so Miles Davis says he gotta play yeah he's gonna play I think we know who miles is I think he could take steps and uh with with more opportunities and some health he can be a little bit better than than he's been but I think we know who he is uh hinley raati and LJ are are going to be the guys at running back who else pay honga is the real deal he's very good uh he's not Reno Mah like we we can't say he's Reno Mah but he's gonna remind you of Reno Mah the way he plays he could carry the ball out of the back field he could catch the ball as well I've heard he started to figure things out he's just young he's a returned missionary uh so he's a freshman he's young but he started to put some things together this last week of camp that he he looks good I think he's going to find a role I don't know what that role is I don't know how big it is but he's going to find a role the other name that I keep hearing about that makes me excited because I loved him coming out of high school I didn't know if he was gonna be a college guy or not Soni MOA not the linebacker not ice moa's brother but another Soni MOA and I think we have him listed by's got him listed as C MOA one on the official roster played at timw at BYU now I think he's a walk-on he was like really really productive at U and I've heard things that hey he just kind of naturally figured it out reminds me a little bit of a guy like lini ca uh he he runs different so that's I'm not comparing playing Styles but just that like lupini got it done like he was never the flashiest he was never the best he was never the NFL guy but lini just produced and sonim MOA is kind of that same guy he just produced at high school and it sounds like he's producing well I I think we might see him more than we expect I don't think anybody's expecting to see him at all uh but we might see him on the field for a handful of carries every game especially early in the season which would be great I think he's he's very good like I say just productive I mean who doesn't want more lini ctoas on this team that just produce even if they aren't super flashy all right last question of the day if bohannan wins the quarterback job and rlof doesn't play more than 20% of the Season doesn't Jake come back so the 20% thing let's start there it's four games they changed the rules to just four games now uh so if you play it all in four games that's your that's your season so there's that uh does Jake come back yeah I think I don't think there's any reason that Jake wouldn't come back I don't think that anybody is expecting Jake to leave I think even if Jake plays and wins the starting job there he probably comes back for one more year I think he has one more year if he wants it um but also he could transfer if he loses the job I mean I wouldn't stick around right I mean if he loses this job I would probably I would put money that he transfers because yes theoretically he could play behind Gary and then win the job again next year but that would feel that would be really hard for me to say hey I was a starter I I was the guy I competed as the starter I was close and now they're gonna give me a one year I just don't I don't know I I would leave if I was him but absolutely he could come back uh that that's very very possible it's also possible that a guy like McKay hillstead or Trac Borg passes him up as qb2 I mean there's lots of lots of scenarios that could play out over the course of of a 12-week season but absolutely nobody's I don't think anybody's expecting him to just leave no matter what at the end of this year I think it's more likely that he's at BYU again in 2025 than it is that he's not uh so that's it that's the mailbag for today appreciate you guys for sticking around if you haven't subscribed please do uh until next time folks we're almost there it's almost football give them hell go CS