Speaker 1: Rental and it's time for the Cougar beat. Getting the
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out to the hotline. Welcome in Jackson, payin at the
Desert News acktion Jackson. How heck are you, buddy?
Speaker 2: What's some goodys? I'm doing well.
Speaker 1: Merry Christmas, Hey, Merry Christmas, Happy holidays. And uh man,
I think you've probably taken you've been busy. We were
talking with with k Y after the win over UC
Riverside and he mentioned that the trip out to MSG
in New York was exhausted. That road trick was pretty tough.
How how tough was it for you?
Speaker 2: Oh man? Well, I went straight from the Big Felt
title game in Arlington Rights in New York, so I
was gone for a week. My wife had finals and
I missed her entire finals week and came home like
she picked me up from the airport straight from her
last final. So I think I win the absentee husband
of the Year award. But it was fun, man, it
was New York. Is New York's a thrill. I mean,
I'm an East Coast guy, so kind of like being
back to my element ate. A lot of good pizza.
Had some good food in Texas too, and I'm just
happy that the New York trip was a bit happier
in the end than the Arlington trip was. And the
Cougar's got to win.
Speaker 1: No doubt about it. It was. It was great to
see BYU basketball get an awesome win and just a
tremendous performance in the second half from AJ and the
BA men's basketball team. We're trending once again to experiencing
one of an iconic season when you combined BYU football
and BYU basketball. Last year eleven and two went over
the Colorado Buffs and an alible Bowl win. It was
was fantastic. It was awesome and then a sweet sixteen
run and we considered that probably one of the best seasons,
one of the best years in b y U athletics history.
Are we about to top that this year. Jackson, Oh,
it's got it.
Speaker 2: They got to top it, right. I mean last year
there was the disappointment of not making the Big twelfth
title game. Like BA, you lost two games this year
in football and both of them were the top five teams.
And in Texas Tech, that's a team that that's good
enough to play in a national championship game. They didn't
have a bad loss this year like they did last
year against Kansas, and I mean, assuming they take care
of business against Georgia Tech, which I mean Kalani Klonny
loves these bowl games, man, he coaches well in them.
It feels like it means something of this BYU team.
And they're not gonna have a ton of opt out
it's opt outs. It sounds like, so I imagine they're
gonna get the Winever charge attach. That's a twelve win
season and then you go to the sweet sixteen again at.
Speaker 1: The very least.
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, that's got to be better than last year.
It's a thrilling time in Provo, and you got to
think that this BA basketball team can make it past
the sweet sixteen as well. Obviously, it might be a
little early to talk final four. You need a little
more from their bench, and but I mean they're they're
a sweet sixteen team, are unbelievable.
Speaker 1: You mentioned opt outs. How much attrition do you think
we experience in that pop dark Well, how many guys
will be opting out and not playing in that b
YU Georgia Tech game. I don't know.
Speaker 2: I mean, I think you always have a few, just
because that's how just things go. But I think for
the most part, guys want to play in this game.
And then when I have that one last shot, I
mean thinking about the seniors on this team and the
incredible senior leadership that Uyu's had this season and just
I mean the Tanner Walls and the Chase Roberts in
that group that's really propelled this this historic stretch of
UA football. Like all those guys are gonna want to
play one last ride, right like Carson Ryan And but uh,
I don't know. I mean, it just feels like it
feels like these ball games like Kalani's got the right
mindset about these ball games. It's a reward, but it's
also another chance to prove yourself and make a statement.
And after the alimible last year that was just such
a blast. And I obviously maybe the opponent doesn't have
the same shine as as Colorado with with coach Prime
and a Heisman winner. But it's the pop Tart Bowl, right,
that's the viral Bowl. Like if you have a great
performance in the pop Tart Bowl, like people are gonna
remember that because for whatever reason, the Pop Tart Bowl
just always finds its way on social media to be
the next viral thing. So yeah, I mean, I really
think this is a bullgame. They're gonna see most of
by you plan it, and uh it should be fun,
right Sonny Orlando in December? I mean you can who
can beat that?
Speaker 1: It's a it's a great bowl destination. Notre Dame. Notre
Dame opted out, I've been told, because there were too
many opt outs of key players, and uh, you know
obviously they felt jaded, they felt attacked, they felt uh disadvantaged.
They felt like the ACC and ESPN collaborated a collusion, right,
Uh that that they they they they pitted Uh this
you know, ESPN and and the AEC kind of went
up against the fighting Irish now named the quitting Irish.
What do you make of that situation? The opt out
due to the opt outs.
Speaker 2: You know, I'm just I'm gonna try and sound remain
christ like here Ben, but I've always hated Notre Dame.
I hate everything about him. Just that is a school.
I just can't stand it. Just the pretentiousness and the snobbery.
And it's just like, maybe they opted out because of
the opt outs, right, maybe I'll give them the bedefit
of the doubt. But at the same time, just given
just the snootiness of that program and all the drama
surrounding it, just the optics of opting out are so
weird and it just makes you look like such a loser.
And just I mean, you gotta play the games right,
like give your seniors. My thing is, it's like college
football team should play college football. If you go to
a bowl game, that's a reward. Like, yeah, he didn't
make the playoff. But I think at the end of
the day, like we kind of uncovered this year that
the playoff system is inherently flawed because these committee members
choose to value certain brands and logos and teams and
will bend over backwards to keep you know, a three
loss Alabama team in the playoff, but a team like
BYU that has a clear playoff resume isn't gonna make
the cut. Like it's just it's it's it's it's you know,
there's it's a broken system, and so I think at
the end of the day, like you could at least
hang your hat on, like okay, well you can say
the system is broken and play the game and give
your seniors one last chance to play. Like I just
feel bad for all the seniors that aren't gonna be
able to play in that game and have one last ride,
just because it's like, I don't know, man, like you
only get so many times to suit up with the boys,
like take that opportunity. It's just it's at the end
of the day, it's sad, just because I feel for
those kids and those families that aren't gonna get a
last game, you know. But at the same time, it's
Notre Dame, like I know, like I said before, I
just don't like Notre Dame. I'm biased, but it's one
of those things where it's like, well, of course Notre
Dame took their bawl and went home, like that's just
what they do. It's yeah, they had a great opportunity
to change the narrative and appear more and more chill, right,
And they didn't do that, so sucks for them.
Speaker 1: Jackson paying dese Red News. You're on ESPN the fan, Jackson,
what have you been working on over at the Desert News?
Speaker 2: Oh Man, lots of fun stuff. Just typically write a
lot of basketball stories obviously, Like I said, I was
in New York for the game, a lot of basketball,
a lot of football. Just plugging away. Man, it's one
time the b Yuah.
Speaker 1: It's truly a Uh what's the biggest concern right now
for b y U athletics? Would you say, obviously there's
a ton of momentum, ton of positivity. Uh, b YU
doing tremendous things. What's the biggest concern you have regarding
bo athletics right now?
Speaker 2: Oh man, that's a good question. I don't really think
about that a lot because it just feels like there's
so much good stuff going on. But uh, I don't know.
I mean just I just think nil on the transfer portal.
Just obviously b YU has the resources to compete and
io wise, but I just think you're gonna miss You're
gonna you're gonna miss out on kids of it occasionally
and guys will leave and it's gonna be Here's there's
always gonna be attrition that way, right, And I just
think that's that's not really a BYU problem, that's an
everywhere problem. And then of course, if if the darkest
fear of a of a super league and college football
happens and b YU doesn't make the cut, like that's
that's way down the line. That's like the dystopian future
type of fear there. But I just feel like and
I on the transferporter are still just so bizarre, Like
there's just so much going on there. And I really
feel like obviously BYU is equips and prepared to handle that,
and they've done well so far, but it's just it's
always going to create problems. And so I think that's
mainly the main thing.
Speaker 1: Let's stock Cougar's in the pros here for a moment.
BYU has produced some fantastic football players over the last decade,
especially under Kilane, right, Like you do still have some
holdovers from the from the Bronco Mendenhall era too, Kyleve
and NOI Fred Warner doing tremendous things. There's a little
bit of cross pollination between the Siess, Fred Water played
for for Bronco and for Kilani. But how is BYU
doing in the NFL right now comparative to maybe what
they've done in the past. Do you think these former
Cougar's balling out in the league? What stands out to you?
Speaker 2: I mean, aside from like the Steve Young era, it
just feels like this is the most visible BYU has
been at the NFL level. Like you can make the
case that Puka Niku is the best receiver in the
NFL and he's a BYU guy. Fred Warner best linebacker
in the NFL. Obviously he's hurt, but he's the kind
of guy that shows up on podcasts and I mean
he's making headlines off the field. Not in a bad way,
of course, but that's just a visible guy. And Kyle
van Noy is still doing his thing. And for a
team like the Ravens that is just such a rabbid
fan base. Like I mean, I have a bunch of
friends on a Ravens fans, so they're like, you know,
Kyvin Noi is the all time Ravens legend now, like
they just love him. That's a dude that like they
will worship forever in Baltimore, just because he kind of
embodies that that blue collar Baltimore spirit. And you know,
you got to think some of that comes from BYU.
Like I think when they talk about walk on mentality
a lot with some of these workers that might get
drafted later come out of nowhere in the NFL, and
I feel like BYU kind of breaths some of that
walk on mentality. Not to say that they walked on
at BYU, but it's just like there's someone about BYU
that puts a chip on your shoulder and you want
to prove yourself. And I really think you've seen that
in the NFL and guys like Ryan Rico, you know,
the top five punter in the NFL potentially, and uh,
you know the Tyler Algiers of the world that that
plug away and do good things as well. Just it
does really feel like an awesome group of BYU athletes.
Speaker 1: Right now in the.
Speaker 2: Pros and with the only thing I wish is that
Jamal Williams was out there still because he's such a
hoot and he was so great at Representative Why as well.
But yeah, really awesome group of Cougars right now. It's
just that's one of the best feaders in Kilane's cap
is he's put some amazing players in the NFL that
continue to do damage.
Speaker 1: Let me revert back to the BAU football roster for
a moment. We've seen Lemson Waller jump into the portal,
Dom McKenzie jump into the portal. Two wide receivers. You
have Jake Griffin recently that jumped into the portal. What
type of attrition do you do you think will have
of like players that are ye, look, I'm a little
you know, sad On le Mason and Dom. Both of
those guys had a lot of P four offers, tremendously talented,
just didn't get to play a whole lot this year,
but they have potential to be fantastic within a BYU offense.
I think Jake Griffin, he's got two years of eligibility.
Maybe his time is is uh, it's his time to transfer,
Like just couldn't get into the rotation. There's some really good,
you know, tackles Andrew Williams, Caden Chitister, big strong dudes
that he's having to compete against. What what are you
seeing maybe forecasted in the transfer portal for BYU? How
much attrition.
Speaker 2: I don't know, probably similar to last year. I mean
they lost a couple of key guys like a Harrison
Tagger or Crewe Wakely, but I don't know, it just
feels like DYU they seem to avoided major transfer portal catastrophe, right,
I mean, I haven't really heard any rumblings or anything
just yet. It just feels like some of that, some
of those guys, like the LT. Nason Wallers, maybe that
the talented guys that couldn't really find their place on
the field this year are gonna be the ones that
maybe step away from the program. And it's just a
bummer and going back, Like I'm not anti portal and
I'm not anti nil if like I want every kid
to have a chance to play, but it's also like
it just I missed the days of when you could
have a four year guide developing your program and kind
of be a building block eventually, right, Like I miss
I miss that, And you know, I feel like Uyu's
kept a lot of those guys lately and they've been
able to withstand it. But it's just it's a bummer
when a guy like little Mason Waller, who's a really
talented receiver and you wanted to see what he could do,
and maybe he wasn't ready or maybe the team wasn't
ready for him to step in year one, Like who
knows what happened, But it's a bummer that you won't
get to see him grow and develop in one place.
But that's just the name of the game in college basket,
in college football right now, Like that's just guys. Guys
need opportunities. And I'm not I don't want to take
that away from anyone, Like I'm not anti portal, I'm
not anti nil. It's just it's a bummer that things
change to where it's not a consistent group you're in
a year out. But it's also fun because you get
to see new faces like a Carson Ryan or a
bear Bachmeyer come in and make some make some magic
happen out of the.
Speaker 1: Portal, which transfer her hurt by you the most this
past offseason, guys like Josh seeing Harrison, Taggart, Keeling Marion.
You can also look at well, you know, technically, like
Hinckley had jumped into the portal, he didn't find his way,
you know, to anywhere else. He didn't get his eligibility back.
I guess we can. You know, I'm just looking at
the portal. Last year, David Loti went over to Boise State.
You know that one maybe hurt. Crew Wakeley to Purdue.
Cody Epps went to Western Kentucky before retiring. Jackson Bowers
could have used him maybe at the tight end spot,
possibly alongside Carson Ryan. I know Kean need looked pretty good,
but he went to Oregon State. Miles Davis had a
pretty good season at Utah State. You could have used
an additional running back, right, you were a little thin
in that R and B room. You had to resort to,
you know, other other players on the defense side of
the ball. Which one hurt the most? Do you think?
Speaker 2: I think it's Kill and Marion. I mean, when you
have a third year receiver in your program, I think
that's so huge. And just Chase and Parker were great
this year, Carson Ryan was great, but having that third
receiver really would have helped Yu. I just I never
really felt like they had It. Always felt like they
were just a little bit short in the pass catching department.
And that's not a detriments to the offense. Like darre
did so much on the ground, LJS offensive Player of
the Year. Like I said, Jason Parker were great, Carson
was great. You had a great offense at BYU, but
I think one more receiver could have taken it to
the next level, and especially a guy like mary and
who's kind of he can stretch the field in the
return game as well. He can do some good things
as we saw last year obviously, and then you know
in spring ball they were really creative with how they
were getting him to football. It felt like they were
lighting him up in all sorts of places. I was
really intrigued by what they were gonna do with Keilan
Mary in this year. And then of course he jumps
in the portal. Yeah, I mean, I think I think
another receiver would have really helped this BYU team. And
then obviously Hinkley as well. If like that's super unfortunate.
I just think I hate when the NC double lake
it's in their own way and tries to, you know,
get keep kids from from getting to play some more.
And it felt like Hinckley kind of got Delta a
raw deal there. But you know, I mean, with with
Moa getting hurt, having Hinkley would have been awesome as
kind of the pass catch back, the change of pace back.
I'm I'm I'm just astonished that LJ handled the workload
that he did so well this year. I mean, obviously
he had his injury mid season kind of in the
Iowa State game, and he got shaken up in another
a couple other games. But you know, he just felt
like with with the workload that he had, he handled
it so well and dominated, especially towards the end of
the season. But having another running back would have been
so nice, just to you know, share the wealth a
little bit and maybe keep LJ a little fresher. But
obviously it's a moot. Point by he won eleven to two,
and they had a great offense. But you know, I think,
like I said earlier, Mary, and having that third receiver
as like a game, having a third game changing receiver
potentially is would have been huge for this offense.
Speaker 1: Take out bear Bach, mind LJ. Who can't you lose
in the portal this offseason? Minus like I said, LJ
and bear Bacher. Let's say that they're coming back.
Speaker 2: Hmmm, assuming that he doesn't go pro. I would say
Isaiah Glasger just because you know, if you're losing Jack Kelly,
because he's gone pro and yeah, Glasger, when he when
he flashes, when he's at his best, he's just he's unbelievable.
Obviously this year he had some injuries and uh, maybe
kind of an up and down season. Like when he
was good, he was really good. Not he was never bad,
but just the consistency might not have been there one
hundred percent of the time. But I just feel like
that's that's the guy that you want to build your
defense around up. Just an absolute physical freak Lake Glasger, I.
Speaker 1: Like that take. Can't lose Ig. You gotta get him back.
We'll see how what he decides here going forward, Jackson.
Best way to support you what you do, how you
do it for all of our listeners.
Speaker 2: Yeah, man at Jackson five, payn on Twitter and Instagram,
reading the dese ret news, always putting stuff out there
and uh yeah always always love covering BYU and hopping
on the hopping on the show man. It's a great time.
Speaker 1: Appreciate you Jackson. Great content is always. Uh. That segment
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