Which BYU Football Players Are On Pace To Redshirt In 2023?
Oct 26, 2023, 3:04 PM
Taking a look at the BYU Football redshirt report as the Cougars head down the final month of the 2023 season. (Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
(Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
PROVO, Utah – It’s hard to believe, but there’s only one month left in the regular season for BYU football in 2023. The inaugural campaign in the Big 12 is moving fast.
It’s a perfect time to size up which players could be moving toward a redshirt season.
Being in the Big 12, there won’t be many opportunities to play the seldomly used players as in years past as an Independent. But it’s a good snapshot to know where BYU stands with some of the personnel they want to maintain as redshirts going into the future.
As a reminder, the NCAA allows FBS players to appear in up to four games and still maintain their redshirt. It was a rule that was first introduced in 2018.
BYU football players with redshirts available who haven’t appeared in a game
Hinckley Ropati, Running Back
Jake Retzlaff, Quarterback
Cole Hagen, Quarterback
Ryder Burton, Quarterback
Jake Hill, Wide Receiver
Nukuluve Helu, Running Back
Kevin Doe, Wide Receiver
Ty Burke, Safety
Maika Kaufusi, Linebacker
Bentley Redden, Tight End
Jordan Kapisi, Kicker
Naseri Danielson, Linebacker
Nason Coleman, Tight End
Lucky Finau, Linebacker
Joseph Paulo, Offensive Line
Weston Jones, Offensive Line
Jake Griffin, Offensive Line
Kaden Chidester, Offensive Line
Devin Downing, Wide Receiver
Bruce Mitchell, Defensive Line
Matthias Dunn, Kicker
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has made it clear from the beginning of the season that he wants to redshirt quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Retzlaff consistently takes the second-team reps in practice as he continues to develop with a chance to potentially be BYU’s starting signal-caller in 2024.
Hinckley Folau Ropati entered this season as a senior. He suffered a season-ending injury during fall camp. The 2023 season is his fourth with the BYU program, but the 2020 season was a free year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That free year of eligibility allows for him to have a redshirt this year to potentially come back next season.
A player from this group to watch for down the road is offensive lineman Kaden Chidester. He’s currently dealing with an upper-body injury that has him sidelined, but he took some snaps with the second-team offensive line this past spring. Chidester is a big body at 6-foot-8, 290-pounds.
Potential redshirts with one game appearance
Jojo Phillips, Wide Receiver
Jackson Bowers, Tight End
Jayden Dunlap, Cornerback
Miles Hall, Linebacker
Landon Rehkow, Punter
In a perfect world, all of these players redshirt this season and take on more prominent roles in the program in 2024 and beyond.
Former Skyline High product Miles Hall could be someone that goes past the four games as he suited up last week in the Texas Tech game for the first time this season. Hall primarily took snaps at special teams in the 27-14 win.
Two game appearances
Siale Esera, Linebacker
John Henry Daley, Defensive Line
It’s probably unlikely these guys get the luxury to redshirt this season, as both have been elevated on the depth chart after injuries or departures to veteran players. Esera and Daley both made their debuts earlier this month in the loss at TCU.
Newcomers who have already played in more than four BYU games in 2023
LJ Martin, Running Back
Ace Kaufusi, Linebacker
Marcus McKenzie, Cornerback
Raider Damuni, Safety
Koa Eldredge, Wide Receiver
David Latu, Defensive Line
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 in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.
