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Hill said there will likely be more players rotating at defensive line than any other position, which should keep guys fresh. If Atunaisa Mahe is healthy, he can be a force at defensive tackle. Reality: The transfer portal certainly brought a lot more experience and talent with Isaiah Bagnah, Jackson Cravens and David Latu and you would expect the holdovers to be one year better, too. Hype: The defensive line is much better than it was last year: He’s not the running threat BYU has had in Zac Wilson and Hall, so the run game has to be good to set up the passing game to hit big plays, which is the way that Roderick likes to call the offense. The wide receiver rotation is deep but who does Slovis look for in critical situations? The offense really depends on the effectiveness of Slovis as a drop-back passer. Tight end Isaac Rex appears to be much healthier than last season, and that’s a big plus. The running backs, led by Aidan Robbins, Deon Smith and freshman LJ Martin, are all new to the program. He was a unique talent that is turning heads with the Rams right now, to no one’s surprise that saw him play at Orem High or BYU. But so far no one on the offense strikes me as the second coming of Nacua.

Hype: BYU has playmakers all over its offense and will average better than 30 points per game. Better? There are many factors that go into making that kind of judgement.

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I think BYU is deeper on the offensive line this season, which will be a big plus during a difficult Big 12 schedule. The rushing numbers against P5 competition weren’t very good and the failures on short yardage and fourth downs are at least partially due to what the offensive line was doing (or wasn’t doing). In all honesty, I thought last year’s line was overrated. There has been a influx of talent and experience from the transfer portal, for sure, to replace guys like Freeland, LaChance and Barrington. Reality: That’s what we’ve been hearing from coaches all fall camp. Hype: The offense line is better than it was last year. Getting the opponents off the field and the ball back for your offense can turn the tide in a lot of games this season. More important than sacks and turnovers will be stops. Does Hill have the right players in place to make his defense work? He’s close, but there are some concerns with a rebuilt defensive line and injuries at safety. Last year’s problems on defense didn’t stem from giving up big plays, instead torturing Cougar fans with death by a thousand paper cuts (long drives and unchecked third down conversions). The players have all talked about how they love being more aggressive in Hill’s offense, but aggression brings risk. Hype: Jay Hill’s new defense is going to be more aggressive and produce more sacks and turnovers. There are a lot of new pieces that need to mesh together for Slovis to put up good numbers. What would stand in the way? It’s not every year that BYU needs to replace its best offensive player (wide receiver Puka Nacua), a three-year starter at quarterback (Jaren Hall), its top two running backs (Christopher Brooks and Lopini Katoa) and three starters on the offensive line (Blake Freeland, Harris LaChance and Clark Barrington). If Roderick can turn his third straight quarterback into an NFL draft choice, he’s truly a quarterback whisperer. His comfort level and confidence with Roderick and the unique culture in Provo seems to be really, really high. There were changes to that coaching spot at USC when he came out of high school and at Pitt after he transferred. Slovis has never played for the offensive coordinator he committed to during his career. Reality: Slovis has drawn rave reviews from teammates and coaches alike, not just on the field as QB1 but off the field as a true leader. BYU players get hyped before the start of a college football game against Baylor at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, September 10, 2022.

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