There isn’t much left to say before BYU’s first game of the season this Saturday.
We know the defense feels more prepared to stop the run in 2022. We know the offense thinks they can be among the most productive in the country. We know Jaren Hall is an early contender to be a top NFL draft pick.
Now, it is finally time to see how it all comes together.
The only thing left to do is make our predictions for the 2022 season.
Chase Roberts will have over 500 yards receiving this year
BYU had three receivers go for over 500 yards receiving last year: Gunner Romney, Puka Nacua and Neil Pau’u.
Two of those men return to the team this year — Nacua and Romney — but there is room for another 500-yard receiver in this offense.
The natural person to fill that role would be Keanu Hill, who will be the third starter to start the year. But I would say that person is more likely to be Chase Roberts.
Roberts has been arguably one of the biggest standouts in fall camp thus far. He has routinely run with the first team and pushed Hill more than we would have expected for that third starting position.
Roberts acts as both a deep threat and a big body that can win one-on-one matchups with cornerbacks in tight spaces. It gives him the versatility to fit anywhere on the offense and be a consistent threat for Hall.
At this point, it would also be fair to question whether or not Romney will be available for the full season due to health. He has never played in a full season in his career. So there will be opportunities for Roberts this year. And with them, I say he becomes the third receiver with 500 yards.
Korbyn Green starts a game this season
BYU keeps telling us how deep the cornerback room is. And maybe they are.
But there are two reasons why the true freshman could start a game this year. One, injuries are always in play as the season goes on. Green is in the mix of potential backups after the core four of Kaleb Hayes, D’Angelo Mandell, Gabe Jeudy-Lally and Jakob Robinson.
The bigger reason, though, is that Green adds a speed element to this secondary that BYU might need as it goes against top-25 offenses.
There is no doubt that Green was brought into the program partly because of his speed. Head coach Kalani Sitake talked about Green already being one of the fastest game-speed players in the program. The hurdle for him is just learning the playbook.
Once he has that down, and more game reps, I wouldn’t be shocked if Green forces himself into a start at some point this year.
Liberty is a trap game
Every year BYU has a game you want back. Maybe it was UAB last year, though you might chalk that up to injuries and disinterest. It was Coastal Carolina, during the bizarre pandemic season the year before that.
This year, the game you have to red flag is Liberty. It comes right in the middle of the schedule, after BYU faces four top-25 teams to start the season. Traveling across two time zones in October is also never an easy task.
Liberty is a surprisingly efficient offense as well. Last year they had an NFL-caliber quarterback. This year the QB will be Charlie Brewer, the former Baylor and Utah quarterback, who lost at BYU last season. Ironically, it will be the third of three Baylor quarterbacks the Cougars face this season.
Jaren Hall scores 35 touchdowns
This hinges on one big question mark: Can Hall stay healthy?
Hall worked most of this offseason to transform his body to be durable for the full 12 games. He added a few pounds to his frame, and he said “firmed up” in general mobility and strength. He cracked his ribs last year in a game with Utah, playing hurt for most of the season. He also missed BYU’s bowl game.
If Hall can stay healthy, there is no reason to believe he won’t make the jump from 23 combined touchdowns last year to 35 touchdowns this year. He has more command over the offense. Plus, offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick and company have tweaked the offense this offseason to cater to their second-year starter.
I would also argue his receiving weapons are better this go-round than in 2021. He has more familiarity with Nacua, who barely had time to practice with Hall after he transferred from Washington last year. He will also have returning veterans like Gunner Romney, Keanu Hill, Brayden Cosper and Roberts.
With a strong offensive line returning, Hall has the weapons there. If he stays upright, he could easily lead a high-powered offense to a bump in his touchdowns.
Chris Brooks matches his career touchdowns in one season with BYU
Chris Brooks fits this offense perfectly on paper. If there is anybody that could be a duplicate of Tyler Allgeier, this is the guy. The outside zone run scheme prototype, Brooks is a patient and durable back.
In his career, he has 14 touchdowns in his time at Cal. Allgeier had 23 touchdowns last year. Even if Brooks is just nine short of Allgeier’s record-breaking season, he will double his career total.
Brooks also has the luxury of an experienced offensive line and a quarterback that is viewed as one of the best in college football. He won’t be the opponent’s main concern, meaning 14 touchdowns could be an achievable target for the fifth-year senior.
Predicting the record
USF — W
Baylor — L
Oregon — L
Wyoming — W
Utah State — W
Notre Dame — L
Arkansas — W
Liberty — L
East Carolina — W
Boise State — W
Utah Tech — W
Stanford — W
Final: 8-4
