Five Takeaways from the Signing Day Press Conference

On Wednesday, BYU signed six additional players as part of its 2022 signing class. Those six players joined the 19 players that signed with the Cougars during the early signing period. Following signing day, members of the coaching staff met with the media to discuss the 2022 class and more. Here are my five takeaways from the press conference.

Credit: BYU Photo

1. Of all position groups, the offensive line will be most ready for the Big 12

BYU signed snow offensive lineman Lisala Tai on Wednesday. Tai picked BYU over a few P5 offers and a host of G5 offers. Tai will join a BYU offensive line that is chock-full  of talent. The Cougars return Blake Freeland, Clark Barrington, Connor Pay, Joe Tukuafu, Harris LaChance, Campbell Barrington, and Brayden Keim who all started at some point last season. They also add former five-star recruit and Oregon transfer Kinglsey Suamataia to the mix.

So why did the Cougars feel the need to bring in a JC transfer into the OL room? Coach Funk addressed that question on Wednesday. Not only will Tai provide depth in 2022, he will also be available when the Cougars lose multiple starters to graduation. Tai has four years to play three - meaning he has three years of eligibility remaining and a redshirt available. 

In the video clip, Coach Funk talks about his level of comfort heading into 2022, and he also talks about how his mindset on the recruiting trail. "I've always considered BYU as a place that you recruit at a Power Five level," Coach Funk said on the impact the Big 12 invitation has had on his recruiting philosophy. 

It's hard to argue with the results. The offensive line has been one of the strengths of the team over the last two seasons, and the current outlook suggests it will be a strength again in 2022.

Moving into the Big 12 will be an adjustment for the BYU football program. There will undoubtedly be growing pains across the board. Of all the position groups, however, I feel like the offensive line will be the most ready to compete in the Big 12 come 2023. Primarily because the offensive staff has done a great job recruiting P5 level offensive lineman over the past two or three years.

2. Don't expect BYU's recruiting philosophy to change anytime soon

BYU signed 25 recruits. 55% of the recruits signed on offense had at least one competing P5 offer. On the defensive side, only 21% had one or more competing P5 offer. In addition, the average star rating on offense was considerably higher than it was on defense. At least on paper, the offensive class was better than the defensive class.

BYU defensive ends coach Preston Hadley told the media that BYU is looking for height, length, speed, and athleticism at defensive end no matter what their star rating may be, and that BYU doesn't mind whether a prospect holds offers from other schools or not. When asked whether that philosophy would need to change as BYU moves into the Big 12, Hadley said BYU would continue to trust its own evaluations and not chase after star ratings.

Whether you agree or disagree with the philosophy, the defensive staff is taking a risk by bringing on multiple players per class that are developmental prospects. Recruiting rankings are not perfect for a few different reasons, but directionally they are the best way to measure talent that a team has coming in. On average, teams that rank higher in the recruiting rankings perform better over time. Only time will tell whether the philosophy will work for BYU once it enters the Big 12.

As part of the 2021 season showed, developmental prospects are properly named. They need a few years to develop! And sometimes when those players are thrown into game action before they have fully developed, the results are less than ideal. 

3. BYU will expand its geographic recruiting net once it moves to the Big 12

Geographically speaking, head coach Kalani Sitake says the move the Big 12 could facilitate a wider recruiting net. Coach emphasized that BYU's core recruiting demographic will always remain the same: the best players that are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Down the road, however, BYU will expand its recruiting footprint. Sitake specifically mentioned Texas and Florida as two states that BYU will play in once it moves to the Big 12. You can listen to Sitake's full comments in the video at the top of this article.

4. BYU is stocking the cupboards at cornerback

BYU signed four high school defensive backs on Wednesday. Cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford said BYU recruited the tradition high school ranks (as opposed to the transfer portal) because BYU has multiple upperclassman that return this season. Those upperclassman will give the young freshman at least one year to learn the system and develop. Then when the upperclassman graduate, BYU will have a young core of defensive backs waiting for their turn. 

Once BYU moves into the Big 12, it will probably need at least one or two of these young defensive backs to be in the rotation.

5. Sitake confirms that most returned missionaries will grayshirt before entering the program

Coach Sitake confirmed that BYU will push most returned missionaries to grayshirt once they arrive home from their mission if they return between April and the start of the season. Sitake explained that most returned missionaries, despite mentally feeling ready to play, suffer injuries once they arrive home if they are thrown into action too soon. Those injuries can last through the offseason and slow the overall progression of young players.