BYU finished fall camp Tuesday without publishing a depth chart. The final open practice still gave fans something better than another round of August guesses: a stable offensive line, a plausible way to put three experienced corners on the field together and five made field goals during the media window.
None of those observations locks in the lineup for Utah Tech on Sept. 5. BYU Athletics confirmed that the Cougars practiced Monday and Tuesday and will begin installing game preparation this week. The more detailed lineup notes come from BYU Cougars On SI’s Tuesday practice report, which covers only the portion open to reporters.
That boundary matters. A practice window is evidence, not a signed lineup card. But when the same five linemen keep working together at the end of camp, or a veteran corner moves inside while two others play outside, the shape of the roster becomes easier to see.
The offensive line finally looks settled
The most useful clue may also be the least dramatic.
BYU Cougars On SI identified Paki Finau at left tackle, Sonny Makasini at left guard, Bruce Mitchell at center, Kyle Sfarcioc at right guard and Andrew Gentry at right tackle as the most consistent first-team combination during camp. That is not an official starting announcement. It is the closest thing the public has to a working five before opponent preparation begins.
| Spot | Most consistent first-team player reported Tuesday | Why the continuity matters |
|---|---|---|
| Left tackle | Paki Finau | Keeps a returning tackle on Bear Bachmeier’s blind side |
| Left guard | Sonny Makasini | Gives the left side an established pairing |
| Center | Bruce Mitchell | Preserves the veteran voice setting protections |
| Right guard | Kyle Sfarcioc | Puts an experienced interior player next to Gentry |
| Right tackle | Andrew Gentry | Completes a large, older right side |
The five-man continuity does more than answer a trivia question. It lets the offense spend Utah Tech week working on communication rather than holding another audition. BYU has plenty to sort out at receiver and behind LJ Martin. A settled front gives those competitions a stable frame.
There was one future-facing wrinkle. Freshman Bott Mulitalo received some first-team work at right tackle Tuesday while the line rotated. The official roster lists him at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds. One late-camp practice does not put him ahead of Gentry, and the report did not suggest that it did. It does show that BYU is willing to test Mulitalo with older players rather than park him in a freshman-only lane.
That is a depth clue, not a Week 1 prediction.
Evan Johnson at nickel solves a numbers problem
The secondary alignment deserves more attention than the two interceptions in Tuesday’s report.
Jayven Williams intercepted a Treyson Bourguet free-play throw intended for Terrance Saryon, although the defensive offside penalty meant the offense retained the down. Later, Walker Lyons tipped a high Bear Bachmeier pass into Evan Johnson’s hands. Those are good plays for a defense that also disrupted several runs, but turnovers in one practice can disappear as quickly as they arrive.
The personnel arrangement may last longer. BYU Cougars On SI reported that Johnson took nickel reps while Williams and Therrian Alexander III lined up outside. That configuration offers a clean answer to a crowded-corner question: move one veteran inside instead of leaving one of the three off the field whenever the offense uses three receivers.
Johnson is listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds on BYU’s official roster. Williams, a 6-foot-2 Mississippi State transfer, played 13 games for the Bulldogs in 2025 and recorded 18 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups, according to BYU’s roster record. Alexander brings his own experience to the other outside spot.
A nickel has a different job from a boundary corner. He must handle traffic, fit the run and communicate against motion. Tuesday did not prove Johnson owns that role. It showed BYU testing a way to use its corner depth without forcing the roster into a simple two-man choice.
Our earlier Jayven Williams analysis treated his transfer experience as a chance to raise the floor outside. The Johnson alignment could let that happen while keeping another proven cover player on the field.
Five made kicks turned a competition into insurance
The kicker battle also produced a useful result without producing a winner.
According to the independent practice report, Matthias Dunn made all three of his attempts from at least 45 yards during the open period. Freshman Brody Laga made both of his. The report also noted that neither had missed during any media observation window this camp.
That is still a limited sample. We do not have a complete camp log, the exact distance of every kick or the pressure conditions BYU used in closed periods. It would be silly to turn five Tuesday attempts into a season percentage.
What the window did establish is that BYU has seen both candidates make kicks while reporters were watching, and Dunn delivered three from serious college range. Dunn is the older option, while the official roster lists Laga as a 5-foot-11, 170-pound freshman from Herriman.
Our special-teams reset framed placekicker as one of four jobs BYU had to settle. Tuesday did not name the winner, but it changed the downside. If Dunn wins the job and struggles, Laga is not merely a name on the roster. He has late-camp makes on the public record. The reverse is true if BYU chooses the freshman.
The receiver picture narrowed without closing
The most discussed room in camp now has a reported top group, though it still does not have a public snap order.
BYU Cougars On SI reported that Jojo Phillips, Kyler Kasper, Legend Glasker and Reggie Frischknecht received most of the recent first-team work, with Tiger Bachmeier joining them for some Tuesday reps. The outlet also reported that receivers coach Fesi Sitake confirmed those five as the top of the current rotation.
That matches the broad evidence from BYU’s first scrimmage, when Frischknecht caught two touchdowns, Kasper caught another and Glasker again drew praise. Tuesday added a chunk completion from Bear Bachmeier to his older brother Tiger. Phillips remained involved with the first offense.
The useful conclusion is not that five receivers will split targets evenly. It is that BYU can enter game preparation with several body types and roles still available: Kasper and Frischknecht supply size, Glasker supplies freshman speed, Phillips has first-team continuity and Tiger Bachmeier brings older college experience.
Tei Nacua, Terrance Saryon and Jaron Pula were identified as the next group in the report. Pula has dealt with a camp health issue, according to Fesi Sitake’s comments relayed by the outlet, so his current place should not be treated as a permanent ceiling. Our first-scrimmage receiver receipt remains the better guide to what the room has already shown in live work.
What survived fall camp
BYU does not owe anyone a ceremonial August depth chart. It does need a lineup that can begin Utah Tech preparation without wasting the next week and a half on basic introductions.
Tuesday’s strongest evidence points that way. The same offensive five has kept appearing. The secondary tried a nickel arrangement that preserves three experienced corners. Two kickers made every attempt in the open window. Five receivers have separated into the top current group without shutting the door on the next wave.
There are limits everywhere. The media saw only part of practice. BYU did not release snap counts or a complete statistical log. A rotation can change after one bad week, one good week or one injury.
Still, camp was supposed to reduce uncertainty. On four important roster questions, it did.
