COUGAR TRACKS
Under-The-Radar BYU Players To Watch For During Spring Practice
PROVO, Utah – BYU football spring practices are always a proving ground for young players to emerge. The 2023 season will have a lot of new faces in key places, so expect a lot of competition during BYU’s first spring as a Big 12 member.
Most of the attention during BYU’s spring practices will be centered around the quarterback position. Pitt transfer Kedon Slovis enters his final year of college football, looking to become the third consecutive BYU QB to go to the NFL (Zach Wilson, Jaren Hall).
Slovis is a headline player. What about the under-the-radar players? Guys with talent that the die-hard fans know about but are ready to become household names to all Cougar fans.
Spring ball is a perfect opportunity for those players to begin making strides and establish themselves in the BYU football program.
These are some under-the-radar players that I will be keeping an eye on when spring practices kick off on March 6 and run through April 15.
Under-the-radar BYU football players to watch for in spring practice
Listed in alphabetical order
Michael Daley, EDGE
Former Lone Peak High standout Michael Daley is projected to become an edge rusher with assistant coach Kelly Poppinga this season. Last year, Daley was taking snaps at linebacker. Early in fall camp, he made plays, including an interception on day one of fall camp. But he was sidelined after the first week due to a muscle injury that kept him out for the year.
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BYU needs to create pressure from the defensive line in 2023. Daley was one of the best in the nation when he was in high school. During his senior year at Lone Peak, he had 24 sacks that season.
Peter Falaniko, OL
The former Pine View High standout was only 17 years old when he arrived at BYU last season. Yet, despite his youth, he arrived at BYU with the physical makeup of an FBS lineman at 6-foot-3 and 307 pounds.
Working everyday, it’s not always easy, you just get better at working through it🔥💪🏽!! @BYUfootball @Coach_DFunk pic.twitter.com/sg62ZP1qIz
— Peter Falaniko (@FalanikoPeter) January 27, 2023
Falaniko has one of the biggest shoes on the team, a size 18.
After a year inside the BYU football program, seeing how big of a jump he makes in his game will be interesting to watch. In addition, BYU needs to sure up depth along the offensive line in 2023. Falaniko is a prime candidate to be in that two-deep as an interior lineman.
Will Ferrin, Kicker
Jake Oldroyd had his ups and downs at BYU but became the all-time leading scorer in BYU football history. That’s a lot of production to replace—the next man in line to fill that void projects to be Boise State transfer Will Ferrin.
I’m coming home! 🔵🤙
Thank you to everyone involved in making this happen. Let’s go to work! #Committed @BYUfootball pic.twitter.com/6kPCn3Bv2u
— Will Ferrin (@wtferrin) December 16, 2022
Ferrin arrived at BYU as a walk-on transfer in January. He primarily handled the kickoff responsibilities at Boise State.
Isaiah Glasker, Linebacker
One thing that stands out about Isaiah Glasker is his size. At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Glasker has the measurables to potentially contribute. At Bingham High School, Glasker primarily played wide receiver.
Last season was Glasker’s first year with the BYU football program after serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Glasker started his career at safety in spring practice. Then a week into fall camp in August, he was switched over to linebacker, where he made an acrobatic interception grab.
That was incredible @isaiahglasker 🤯 pic.twitter.com/jMatoBp2Sr
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) August 23, 2022
BYU’s stars at linebackers in 2023 will be Ben Bywater and Max Tooley. But after those two, the depth chart poses many opportunities for young players to emerge.
Kyson Hall/Parker Kingston, WR
Who emerges in the second unit at wide receiver will be an interesting area to monitor in spring. Plus, Kelly Poppinga wants to identify a speedster in the return game. Two redshirt freshmen in Kyson Hall and Parker Kingston could fit the billing for both areas.
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Both Hall and Kingston bring a ton of speed to Fesi Sitake’s wide receiver room. There are opportunities for both to earn a role in 2023 this spring, especially if Kody Epps continues to be limited as he recovers from a shoulder injury suffered last October.
Brooks Maile, DL
After signing in the 2019 recruiting class out of Pine View High School, Brooks Maile is preparing for his first healthy season in the BYU football program. Heading into last year, he was viewed as a potential player along the defensive line, but an injury took away his season.
About that grind ⚙️ pic.twitter.com/1MfKZ85EQ6
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) February 11, 2022
All positions are up for grabs for a defense that has a complete reset under the direction of Jay Hill. That’s good for a player in Maile to contend for a two-deep spot among the interior linemen potentially.
Entering spring ball last year, Maile was listed at 6-foot-4, 320-pounds.
Aisea Moa, EDGE
Aisea “Ice” Moa has the potential to be the most improved player in the BYU program in 2023. A former four-star prospect out of Weber High, Moa started tapping into his high ceiling during bowl practices in December.
MUCH LOVE COUGAR NATION !! WE GON BE BACK 🤘🏾 pic.twitter.com/yCnqFc3IXd
— Aisea Moa (@aiseamoa_8) December 18, 2022
Last season served as a redshirt year. So now he gets Kelly Poppinga, a coach who has developed Fred Warner and Sione Takitaki, working with him.
Anthony Olsen, TE
There will be competition in spring for the TE2 spot behind Isaac Rex. Could redshirt freshman Anthony Olsen emerge as a candidate? He will have to compete against Ethan Erickson, who potentially has the inside track, Masen Wake, and others.
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But Olsen’s athleticism is intriguing. A former Utah commit out of Olympus High, Olsen arrived at BYU as a preferred walk-on last season. He only played one year of high school football after primarily playing basketball during his prep career.
With four-star Jackson Bowers arriving in the tight end room this summer, spring is a great chance for Olsen to make a case for playing time this fall.
Bodie Schoonover, DL
A redshirt freshman out of American Fork High School, Schoonover was one of the top prospects in BYU’s 2020 recruiting class. Schoonover turned down scholarship offers from UCLA and Nebraska to sign with BYU. The Cougars were the school that first identified him during a summer camp before his recruitment took off.
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He came to BYU as an outside linebacker, and now he projects as a traditional defensive end along the defensive line.
Schoonover’s prep career at American Fork High totaled 147 tackles, nine sacks, one interception, and five pass deflections.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU moving to the Big 12 Conference on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
