Players keep working as fall camp rolls on

PROVO, Utah – The BYU football team continued to work in fall camp on Wednesday afternoon with its eighth day of practice.

The team went with a shorter but intense practice on Wednesday where the quarterbacks all got a lot of work during 7-on-7 and full team sessions.

Junior Zach Wilson is back after throwing for 2,382 yards in nine games last season. Wilson is enjoying his first full offseason in good health and able to fully participate in summer conditioning and camp. The junior was named to the 2020 Maxwell Award Watch List. 

Redshirt sophomores Baylor Romney and Jaren Hall are also back after each one started games in 2019. Romney went 2-0 as a starter, highlighted by a 28-25 win over No. 14 Boise State in his first collegiate start, throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Hall also started two games, leading the charge in a 42-14 win over Utah State in Logan where he threw for 214 yards and ran for two touchdowns. 

In addition to Wilson, Romney and Hall, Rhett Reilly returns and newcomer Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters has been getting some reps in practice, along with Mason Fakahua. 

The following quotes are from BYU's post-practice Zoom media availability. 

Passing game coordinator/Quarterbacks coach Aaron Roderick
Full interview here
On Zach Wilson and his play in camp so far
He’s improved in every area really. He’s Pretty impressive what he's done with his offseason. It is the first real offseason he's had in three years, and a total transformation of his body. He looks really good. He's big and strong and he's just such a hard worker. He's worked hard at every part of the game. And so he's throwing the ball really well. He looks really fit and strong and he's making great decisions. You can tell he's really taken it to heart, some of the mistakes he's made in the past as well as you know we're trying to build on the things we already do well in this program. We had a pretty good season throwing the ball last year and we're trying to try to build on those things and eliminate some of the mistakes we make.

On the uncertainty of the season
Everyone in this building has great respect for the virus and we're all operating under the guidelines that we've been given everyone's trying their best to follow the rules around here. I mean everyone's masked up everywhere. Basically on the field off the field. You know, we're doing the best we can to follow the guidelines, we've been given and at the same time, we feel really fortunate that we get to be out there, practicing. We got six practices in spring and a lot of teams got zero. We're already eight practices into it now. It's a blessing to be out there. If you have to wear a mask, big deal. I mean, it's just fun to be playing football. There's a lot of teams that have not practiced since last season. I don't know exactly what that number is, but it's a good number of teams that finished last season didn't get any practice and spring and still haven't started. We're just taking it one day at a time enjoying the moment we're not even really thinking about what's ahead just other than just enjoying each practice and trying to be become a better team for whenever we do play.

On how practice has been
To be honest, it's a little weird. I mean, it's weird to be coaching with a mask over your face and everybody out there masked up, players are masked up, it's interesting. I think everybody's just having so much fun being out there. You realize right now how precious the opportunities are to play. And so we are just having fun out there, you know, it's fall camp, but it's not drudgery at all. We're competing. We're having fun getting better, we're all following the rules about how we've been instructed to behave and we're trying to do the best we can to keep everybody safe and healthy, but at the same time we are having fun out there. Practice is the most lively and enjoyable fall camp I’ve ever been a part of so far. I mean it has been competitive. It's been fun. There is just a lot of enthusiasm and I think we have mature enough players to realize how fortunate we are. Every one of these guys on this team has friends in other programs that have either had their season cancelled or their seasons still in question and they haven't even been able to practice yet and so every rep of every practice is precious and we're making the most of it.

On distributing reps to the quarterbacks in practice
So far it has been equal reps with Zach (Wilson), Jaren (Hall) and Baylor (Romney) exactly equal so far. And then I've been mixing Sol-Jay (Maiava-Peters) in there where I can. He’s gotten some reps every day as well. He's really exciting young player when he goes in. I keep joking that something exciting is going to happen. He might do the wrong thing and still make a great play. He's just pretty fun to watch. That won't last forever as we get closer to a game. We will start you know will whittle those reps down and get whoever is going to be a starter ready to play. For right now, the games are far enough away that I feel like there's enough reps and the practices are pretty long. Right now we're getting a lot of work. So there's enough there for all those guys to get some.

Defensive back Zayne Anderson
Full interview here
On veteran leadership
I think it's big, especially during times like these. I was once a freshman, there were guys that were once a freshman and just knowing you have those leaders on your team and that have your back and that are going to teach you a different technique and teach you the defense. It really does help. And I think it builds team chemistry. When you know you have a leader that can do that and those kind of things. And so that's what I'm striving to be like for the younger guys and as a vet. You know, I've been here for quite a bit. And so just kind of take it in and earn that role.

On how the defense is performing
Good. I think we've been good. And we've been coming a long way. I think every day, you know, first day of pads. We were tackling, we had to many missed tackles and stuff. But things like that are going to happen. And so we just go back in the film room and clean this stuff up, but I really like how we're reacting this year to everything. Everything will get coached up and up and then boom next day we fix it. And so there's something little every day. We are just improving and so I feel like so far we've improved a lot.

On staying positive amidst all the uncertainty
It is super tough. I think going into fall camp, it was still a lot of uncertainty. And there were some guys asking what's going on and stuff. But I think at the end of the day, especially for us as seniors and me as an individual, it's fun to be out here competing against each other. One-on-ones, skelly, team offense vs. defense––who doesn't love to compete? So I think right now with these uncertain times it brings out that competitiveness. Whether we are just going against each other, it's just a blessing to be out there playing a game we love. I like going out there and competing against our guys. And so that kind of keeps me motivated. I think that keeps our team motivated as well.

Linebacker Pepe Tanuvasa
Full interview here
On how the mood has been with the news of the last few days
The team is definitely still in a positive attitude. I know that we are doing everything in our realm of influence to be prepared for a season if there is a season. And so every day we are treating it as if we have a full season ahead of us and we'll see what comes.

On playing the Naval Academy
Yeah, that was a it was a very cool experience being there at the Naval Academy and when I heard it first announced it was definitely mixed emotions. I was excited to play against my friends that are still playing for Navy. Because I know the caliber team that they are, I know Coach Ken (Niumatalolo) runs a very tight ship and so I'm looking forward to this game. I know it's going to be a really good one.

On the linebackers
I think we are very deep and we have a lot of strength there. I know the names that come to mind like Isaiah Kaufusi, obviously Payton Wilgar, Keenan Pili are some of the guys. Max Tooley are names that you've heard, but are up and coming that I see. I've seen a lot of great work from both Ben Bywater and Drew Jensen. And so I'm happy and excited to see what they do this season.