Kalani Sitake isn’t resting on an 11-2 record and Alamo Bowl trophy from 2024.
He enters spring football practice with a tremendous opportunity to sharpen his operation, lift his players, take advantage of some NIL momentum and other ancillary additions to his program.
That’s why, on Thursday, after practice in the sun with eager players, he clearly outlined his goals for the media.
“I want us to keep hungry and humble,” he said. “We have work to do.”
In the background, his staff has continued to make headway in recruiting, his lifeblood. Now that his school will be backed by P4 money in 2025-26, a full share of the Big 12’s $32 million, it puts the Cougars on a far more lofty platform than they were a year ago when they came out of independence and only got a half share.
Perhaps the best illustration of this headway, so to speak, is the progress made with top recruits who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And the top prospect in the 2026 class is five-star Folsom High quarterback Ryder Lyons, who is a Latter-day Saint and ranked as a top — if not the best — QB recruit nationally.
I’m told offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has visited the Lyons family recently and favorably discussed how he puts players in a great position to succeed. His success in helping Zach Wilson, Jaren Hall and Jake Retzlaff pull off big wins and headway with their careers rings true.
Ryder and his parents, Tim and Kamee, both BYU graduates, have witnessed how Sitake treats his players and has created a positive, productive culture, according to relatives and friends. They see how Sitake has given “all his heart” to the program, even managing his financial contract extension to benefit his staff and keep key faces in the program.
Ryder, once believed to be headed to USC like his brother Walker (tight end), has elevated BYU to be a real possibility. His father played safety for BYU in the late 1990s.
Mission-bound Ryder is currently playing center for Folsom High basketball team, the No. 1-ranked high school team in the San Joaquin Section, an area that encompasses more than 3 million people. While he doesn’t score big numbers, he is an elite defender who can guard positions one through five.
Recruiting Lyons is key for Roderick and Sitake because it could lead to the recruitment of other top Latter-day Saint players, including Brock Harris, a tight end in St. George who is considered one of Utah’s most coveted high school players.
On the field, Sitake is challenged to replace departing defensive linemen Tyler Batty, Blake Mangelson and John Nelson.
Those who are expected to challenge for playing time include Utah transfer Keanu Tanuvasa, Logan Lutui, John Taumoepeau, Luke Toomalatai, Viliami Po’uha, Texas transfer Tausili Akana, Ephraim Asiata, Bodie Schoonover, Sale Fano and Kadiyon Sweat.
BYU has deployed a lot of three-four fronts, but it would be best to migrate toward using more four-three. Defensive coordinator Jay Hill knows the four-three can enhance his ability to apply pressure on quarterbacks.
While Hill’s defense led the nation in interceptions this past year, a goal for BYU has to be to produce more sacks in 2025. BYU had 24 sacks last year. The Big 12 leaders were UCF with 36 and Houston at 30.
“The starters that we think are going to start for us, they’ve got a bunch of hungry guys behind them. They’re friends, they’re brothers, they love each other. But you think someone’s just going to let you take that spot? That’s what I love about this competition.”
BYU football coach Kalani Sitake
Sitake needs to whittle down his roster in the coming months to meet the NCAA’s new guidelines. He said this is a work in progress that will likely continue until the week before the first game of the season.
In the meantime, fostering competition, especially when pads go on, is a priority.
“Let’s just focus on the fundamentals, and let’s focus on competition. We have a lot of competition,” he said. “The starters that we think are going to start for us, they’ve got a bunch of hungry guys behind them. They’re friends, they’re brothers, they love each other. But you think someone’s just going to let you take that spot? That’s what I love about this competition.”
What we’re seeing out of spring football after a week is Sitake and his staff working on short- and long-term challenges to keep the program moving forward. He has far more momentum than he had after 2023 after losing five straight games and no bowl game.
The recruiting momentum, getting Tanuvasa, Akana and Hunter Clegg in camp and inroads with Lyons, however, may be the most important thing on his white board.
