Five BYU Football Players Who Could Surprise During 2025 Season
Jul 29, 2025, 10:39 PM | Updated: Jul 30, 2025, 10:03 am
PROVO, Utah – Every BYU football season has a handful of players emerge that play an unexpectedly significant role.
Last year, linebacker Isaiah Glasker, who was trending up for years, finally had his breakout season and was the leader in tackles for loss in the Big 12.
Running back Sione Moa emerged as a walk-on freshman to become one of the top ball carriers in the program.
Who will be surprise players for BYU football in 2025?
Who could be the players this year that catch everyone by surprise?
As fall camp opens up on Wednesday, here are five players to keep an eye out for that could fit the billing of being surprises this year.
Reggie Frischknecht, Wide Receiver
BYU football added an under-the-radar prospect at wide receiver from Weber State during the spring transfer portal in Reggie Frischknecht.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound pass catcher originally hails from Manti High School and then signed on with Snow College out of high school.
Last year at Snow College, Frischknecht led all NJCAA players nationally with 14 touchdown receptions.
After a season at Snow, Frischknecht transferred to Weber State. But then he changed course in the spring and joined the BYU football program.
100% committed, thanks @fsitake @kalanifsitake for this opportunity! Can’t wait to get started! Go Cougs!! pic.twitter.com/H63kUl4Lz3
— Reggie Frischknecht (@Reggie_Frisch23) April 29, 2025
In a receiver unit that’s looking to establish the pecking order after Chase Roberts, there are opportunities for Frischknecht to make a splash right away.
Cody Hagen, Wide Receiver
Cody Hagen isn’t as deep a sleeper as Frischknecht at the wide receiver spot because of the recruiting accolades he gathered coming out of Corner Canyon High.
Hagen is a former four-star recruit who signed with BYU in the class of 2022 over the likes of Michigan, Stanford, USC, and Utah.
Last year, he appeared in 10 games, mainly on special teams, but did have three receptions for 29 yards.
During spring practices in March, Hagen was sidelined due to an injury.
When healthy, Hagen has elite speed that will be hard to keep off the field. He ran a 10.67 100 meters in high school.
Hagen is going to be a special player at BYU. We get the feeling that his special skill set is going to show up sooner, rather than later.
Keayen Nead, Tight End
Former New Mexico/Weber State transfer Keayen Nead will be one to watch this season.
The 6-foot-5, 262-pound tight end joined the BYU football program during the spring transfer portal, where he spent spring ball with the New Mexico Lobos.
BYU has a number one receiving tight end in Utah/UCLA transfer Carsen Ryan. Could Nead, who has great genes, with his uncle Spencer being a former tight end standout at BYU, emerge as the top blocking tight end for the Cougars?
The opportunity is there.
During his time at Weber State from 2022 to 2024, he appeared in 20 games for the Wildcats.
John Taumoepeau, Defensive Tackle
BYU’s defensive tackle unit is going to be led by Utah transfer Keanu Tanuvasa this season. However, he’s only one guy. The entire unit needs to contribute at a high level to pair up with Tanuvasa.
One of those players that was highly productive in spring ball and could be due for a big 2025 season is John Taumoepeau, who goes by “JT” on the team.
The 6-foot-2, 300-pound senior formerly of Snow College is in his second year with the program after signing with BYU in 2023.
During his time at Snow, Taumoepeau was an excellent interior pass rusher in the junior college ranks, recording 7.5 sacks in 2022.
Andrew Williams, Offensive Tackle
A true freshman who stood out in spring practices last March was offensive tackle Andrew Williams.
The Kirksville, Missouri native was a big recruiting win for BYU in the 2025 recruiting cycle. Williams picked BYU over Big 12 foes Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State.
BYU has some upperclassmen who they will likely turn to at the offensive tackle spots in Isaiah Jatta at left tackle and either Michigan transfer Andrew Gentry or Austin Leausa at right tackle.
But it wouldn’t surprise us if the 6-foot-8, 295-pound Williams cracks into the two-deep as a true freshman. The same goes for Ethan Thomason, another true freshman offensive tackle, who returned home from serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last winter.
Williams has a high ceiling ahead of him in his BYU career.
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 athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
