Bruce Mitchell’s Success Is ‘No Surprise’ To BYU Captain Connor Pay
Oct 17, 2024, 3:56 PM | Updated: 4:12 pm
PROVO, Utah – One of the great stories at the midway point of the 2024 BYU football season is Bruce Mitchell.
This season, the 6-foot-4, 295-pound offensive lineman has shined in relief duty at right guard and center.
Mitchell had the tall task of replacing BYU’s veteran center Connor Pay after he went down with a foot injury in the Baylor game. The Redshirt-Sophomore shined in his first start at center last Saturday in the 41-19 win over Arizona.
BYU’s offensive line, which featured the former South Summit High School graduate, gave up zero sacks to Arizona.
“I’m really proud of Bruce Mitchell stepping in and playing center, man. The guy has been amazing at center and guard [this season],” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake after the Arizona win.
Mitchell has been a revelation this season. But like many aspects of BYU’s 6-0 start this year, it hasn’t surprised those in the building, including captain Connor Pay.
Mitchell spent the first two years of his BYU career along the defensive line before switching to the offensive line last winter.
Connor Pay on Bruce Mitchell: “No surprise because Bruce is so smart”
“Well, I mean, it was no surprise because Bruce is so smart,” Pay said in his weekly interview with the KSL Sports Zone’s “JJ & Alex.”
Mitchell primarily played as an offensive tackle at South Summit High in Kamas. He dabbled with the center spot a little bit. Regardless, BYU turned to him with Pay and Sonny Makasini banged up.
💪 @975Hans' O-Lineman of the week. @BYUfootball #BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/FedLDmjcz0
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 16, 2024
Makasini remains “questionable” entering Friday night’s game against Oklahoma State, setting the stage for another start for Mitchell, with whom Pay has worked closely.
“Center was a little bit new to him, but all he needed was someone to kind of point him in the right direction and he was able to pick it up quick,” said Pay.
Pay knows what it’s like to be the third-team center who gets thrown into action. He did that in his true freshman season, in a 2020 Boca Raton Bowl victory over UCF.
“Coach Pay”
“One of the most difficult things about playing, too, is in live bullets, your first time in front of 65,000 people, being able to snap adequately,” Pay said. “He didn’t have any bad snaps, and the moment wasn’t too big for him. I am just super proud of Bruce.
“We spent a lot of time together on the practice field and in the film room, just trying to help him get ready as best he could. I shared with him whatever I could, but he really didn’t need that much, outside of what Coach [TJ] Woods has already given him. Everything I did was just supplementary to that. He went out there and had an awesome game.”
Run Game Coordinator and offensive line coach TJ Woods praised the work Pay has put in with Mitchell.
“I think Connor is doing a heck of a job with [Bruce] right now. We call him Coach Pay right now because he’s doing a heck of a job putting Bruce under his wing and helping him out. But it’s been a tremendous kind of a performance last week for Bruce. So we’re excited about it.”
No. 13 BYU vs. Oklahoma State
Date: Friday, October 18, 2024
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. (MT)
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Extended Pregame begins at 5:30 p.m.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
