BYU Football Cheers On Sweet 16 Hoops Squad With Tater Tots
Mar 26, 2025, 11:49 PM
NEWARK, N.J. – BYU football is winding down spring practices this week. When they have some downtime, they are showing their support for the Sweet 16-bound BYU basketball team.
The gridiron squad showed their support for BYU hoops with a “Shot for a tater tot” video.
good luck to @BYUMBB and the tot king tomorrow!! 🤙 pic.twitter.com/LyvZR6p8Sr
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) March 27, 2025
If you’ve somehow missed it, BYU basketball has the “Tater Tot King,” Richie Saunders. He’s the great-grandson of the man who invented tater tots.
The “Tater Tot King” and his BYU squad are gearing up to take on the No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. It’s BYU’s first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2011.
Even out here in New Jersey, Saunders said, most of the questions he’s fielding these days are about tater tots.
BYU football put together a “Shot for a tot” challenge
So it’s only fitting that BYU football players were showing off their best basketball skills on a mini hoop outside the locker room and weight room inside the Student Athlete Building with cups of tater tots as a reward.
BYU wide receiver Keelan Marion opened the video with an alley-oop pass from fellow wide receiver Jojo Phillips for a slam dunk.
View this post on Instagram
Then Marion noticed the cup of tots and said, “Shot for a tot!”
BYU offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho knocked down a jumper and said, “For the tater tot king, baby. Let’s go! Elite Eight, we’re coming for you!”
Even BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake got in on the fun.
He said, “Let’s go, Richie! Keep shooting, buddy!”
Richie Saunders, the tater tot king himself, shared his reaction to the video on Instagram stories with three laughing emojis.
BYU basketball plays the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday night, and the BYU football program wraps up spring practices on Monday.
BYU basketball vs. Alabama
Regional Semifinals – 2025 NCAA Tournament
Location: Newark, New Jersey
Arena: Prudential Center
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Tip-Off: 5:09 p.m. (MDT)/7:09 p.m. (EDT)
TV: CBS
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM in Utah — Extended pregame begins at 3 p.m. MDT/5 p.m. EDT)
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.
