Speaker 1: It's time to celebrate the greatest team sport known to man,
where modern day gladiators collide for all the glory on
the grid. I let's talk some college football on Cougar
Sports with Ben Cridle.
Speaker 2: Welcome back Cougar Sports. One of three nine ninety eight
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Speaker 3: It is top of little college football.
Speaker 2: Can't wait to get into all the mix of Granny's
talking to some college football as well as BYU Football
with a Cougar Sports insider here on your Utah, ESBN
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also CEO Odion Men'swear. We got braidon day on the line.
Speaker 3: Braidon. How you leaving?
Speaker 4: Yo?
Speaker 3: Man?
Speaker 4: I would be doing better if we were playing this weekend.
I think we should see.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you wanted to you want to be in the playoff.
Speaker 2: I understand that, Brandon, I know you feel that b
YU has been shafted, and like, how do you feel
like kugarnation he's doing right now after kind of getting
the short end of the stick as it pertains to
the committee.
Speaker 4: I think we're probably over it, and we probably should
have expected it, but I'm still sad. I think I
think it's gonna be harder. I've got over it for
the first two weeks, and I think now that games
are actually happening this week, I think I'm is when
I'm gonna gonna hurt sing the most.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, how how is by How are b
YU fans reacting to the fact that Jake Retzlof is
in the playoff and b YU is not.
Speaker 4: I think it depends on where you talk about it.
I am pretty self proclaimed Jake lovers. Still I'm I
think it's awesome that he's still there. I think he's
a great quarterback that I'm excited for him to be there. Obviously,
I wish that we were there also, But I think
there are certain people who are not very happy in
Kugernation that we didn't make it and he did.
Speaker 2: The future is bright for BYU football despite not getting
into the College Football Playoff. The last two years, we've
been knocking on the door, and they wouldn't let us in. Okay,
even though the metrics heavily favored the objective analysis, the
pure data was in BYU's corner.
Speaker 3: Okay, So the subjective human element.
Speaker 2: The corrupt cabal, the cartel of college football, said no,
not today, not today, Brigham, Not today Brigham.
Speaker 3: But the future is bright, and.
Speaker 2: I feel like there's gonna be great retention this offseason
on the roster. I think LJ is coming back. I
think Bear is coming back. Still to be determined what
happens with IG, but I feel like IG is coming back.
Speaker 3: How much of those that.
Speaker 2: Have have ultimately exhausted their eligibility, they can't come back
and unless they have some sort of Juco experience, Right,
But I think you're gonna retain a lot of guys
and then go acquire some good gap fillers, right, filling
devoid of guys that that may be left to the NFL,
and you're gonna be right back into the mix of
it once again in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 4: Yeah. And I think the thing that it's hurt is
I remember last year, maybe out of this time, but
early spring we were talking about how you know this
year it'll be different because they're gonna finally get the
respect of the of the rankings. We'll have preseason rankings
and everything, and obviously all the stuff Jakes that happened,
But I really do think I don't think we can
count on that happening two years in a row, hopefully,
so I think I think that's one of the things
that I'm really excited about is that next year, with
every with the returning talent, having Bear going from being
a freshman to a sophomore, which is usually when they
make the biggest jump, I think we're going to get
quite a bit of preseason respect, which sets us up
a lot better than we were this year. I really
think if if we start in the top if we
start in the top up fifteen, then we end up
getting in the playoffs no matter what.
Speaker 3: This year with our resume, no doubt about it.
Speaker 2: Uh, what is it that b YU needs in the
portal of this offseason?
Speaker 3: Do you think?
Speaker 2: What do you think they will go out and try
to acquire? Obviously you had a four star tight end.
You're looking at you like, hey, Carson Ryan is leaving,
why don't we go pick up Walker?
Speaker 3: Lions, what else it's on the dock and what else
is on the menu?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I think obviously we I hope we
get both Walker Lions and oh, I can't thing of
the how Lafo is that.
Speaker 3: His name from La Foule? Yep, yep.
Speaker 4: So I think I think those two. I really hope we.
I think we're gonna need to get a running back.
I think the Dye Kid from Sue You as an
option there. I think we probably will get look at
two hopefully, And then I think deepens the line. We're
gonna need to, you know, keep stacking that because I
don't think that the rooms deep it up. I think
you have Kirklindon and oh my goodness Town it make
John's right. So having Giano and kirkland back, if they're
both decide that they're gonna come back and play, I
think that's gonna be a spot that's a little more
depth there with them, But honestly, behind them, there's just
not anything proven. And so I think that the d
line is the spot that I'm the most worried about
and that I think we need to go after. In
the portal that I haven't heard too much about that
we actually like what we're gonna do there and haven't
seen any rumors really happen. Who we're gonna try and
get out of there.
Speaker 2: I'm intrigued to see what they go out and try
to require no doubt. You know, last year, you wonder
if you were two pole, all the players, all the
players that entered the portal and left BYU and we're
talking about probadent Keeling, Harrison. Right, you go down that
list of transfer portal players, how many of them regret
leaving Kru Wakelee, How many of them wish they would
have stuck around b Yu. What do you think?
Speaker 4: I'm guessings like Crewe who maybe didn't do as well
as they thought they were going to do outside of
the way. I think you got Crew, maybe even Harrison Taggard.
Our guys probably wish they would have stayed. But I
think obviously like get guys like Keeling and Jake are
gonna say that. I mean, Jake kind of got Jack
didn't have a choice, but let's just say he did
have a choice. I think both of them are happy
with their situations. They're both in the playoffs, but I
think overall, if they weren't getting the time they wanted.
I don't know. I didn't follow really anybody outside of
those four super closely, but I think.
Speaker 2: I think we lost Brayden. Braidon's still there, buddy, I
think I lost you there for a second.
Speaker 4: Yeah, sorry about that. Yeah, I honestly think it's just
I think it depends on how much they got playing
time they got out of that situation.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Harrison, Josh Singh is an interesting study. You went
to Vanderbilt, played well there.
Speaker 3: You wonder how.
Speaker 2: Much rotation he would have been in on that interior
defensive line.
Speaker 3: I think if he.
Speaker 2: Started for Vandy this last year or at least be
in that two D rotation, you imagine he would have
been in the two DP rotation at BYU. But he
probably got paid a little bit more there at Vandy.
Speaker 3: So I wonder, you know, when it does shuttles.
Speaker 2: And because these guys talk, right, anybody that's an all
flirtatious that's currently on the roster, okay, that has has
a good friendship with those guys.
Speaker 3: That left, they're calling them. They're asking, hey, what has
it been.
Speaker 2: Like for you? You know, what was the approximate pay? What
what is the market rate? And they have agents as
well that are out trying to field these calls and
field these numbers and try to figure it out. You
wonder how many of them are saying, Hey, I wish
I would have stayed at BYU, And I think a
lot of them would actually say, hey, I would have
I would have liked to. I think Keelan would have
liked to stayed at b YU. At by you've been
able to, you know, maybe up the ante at that time.
I think we're in a different spot now though than
we were even a year ago now with revs share right,
So when you get into these competitive maybe bidding battles now,
Buy's probably.
Speaker 3: Built a little bit different to be able to retain
some of these guys.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I honestly think that's the you know, I'll
hear BYU fans say things complaining about the portals were
in college football or nil you know, REP shares ruining
college football. But I just don't know how you can
look at it and say that as a YU fan.
Obviously from the maybe overall college football you can say that.
But we're in a spot that it's it's leveling the
playing field for it and obviously getting it in the
spots now where we're able to compete and getting us
into these But like you said, I think with Kilaney
like him being retained that type of coach of the
coach that you don't lose people to the portal unless
you're kind of telling them, hey, the playing time isn't
going to happen unless the money isn't there. And obviously
with some of the renegotiations rep share happening, like, I
don't think the money is going to be an issue
if we want the guys bad enough. Obviously there's gonna
be guys who maybe want to get paid a little
more and we're just not worth it for us valuation wise.
Speaker 3: But I really do.
Speaker 4: I think we're just spont where we're gonna keep people
we want to keep. Like I think Bear could have
gotten offered from everywhere. I think we have the ability
and resources to go to keep him.
Speaker 1: And I think he.
Speaker 4: Fit's offense so well that they're they're gonna put the
money out there to keep him.
Speaker 3: It's transfer portal season.
Speaker 2: Uh, And I wonder since the transfer portal became a thing, Braden,
I know you you monitor recruiting. Obviously, you know this
team better than just about anybody monitoring the roster of
the productivity, et cetera. Do you have an all time well,
I guess a modern day favorite transfer portal player that
came to BYU because you mentioned it, Like, hey, be
you guys benefited from the transfer portal.
Speaker 3: How could you hate the transfer portal.
Speaker 2: When you've benefited so greatly from it and you just
had two consecutive years going to eleven and two with
an opportunity to be twelve and two doing something you
haven't done in twenty four years.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm trying to think that's a that's a tough
question to choose because there's not a lot of good
ones honestly, Like, I think Baron Jak are both Transfer
Portal guys, and I think they've both been huge for
the program. I think guys like Jack Kelly. Jack Kelly
is a huge one. Gianna Tomasa, like, there's a there's
a ton of really really good talent we brought in
that's changed the game for us. On on that sut side,
I think, you know, almost all of our tackles over
the last few years have all been transfer products. Like, like,
the Transfer Portal has been good to it. If I
had to pick one. I'd probably be bear just because of
the upside because we got up so early in the
transfer portal and how good he did this year and
the upside of where he take the team. But it's
been good overall for us. It's really good for us.
Speaker 2: You mentioned Jack, right, and and uh, I was like,
we've benefited from Weber State. Two of our best defensive
players over the last few years have been Weber State
transfers Eddie Heckerd and Jack Kelly. Shoot what about yeah? Yeah,
Mark Collins really good football player. So you see that
and you're like, wait, oh, man, the the you know
you you mentioned uh, you know these guys that come
in and you're like, man like, uh, you know Kingsley
Sulmatiya also from Oregon.
Speaker 3: Right. You look at the tackles.
Speaker 2: That have come into b YU. It seems year and
and you're out. It seems like they're they're transfer players.
Speaker 4: Yep. Yeah, Isaiah Jahanna, You've got at Kingsley like a
lot of and obviously this year you had Andrew Gentry.
Like honestly, all of our tackles over the last few years,
almost all of them have been transfer products.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I just uh, yeah, Pooka Nakula Pooka Nakua twenty
twenty one came from Washington, Yep. Samson Koua, Jacob Robinson,
Jacob Robinson came from Utah State.
Speaker 4: True, it's true, like it it's benefited. Well, that's what
I'm saying. I don't know. I'd never understand when dau
fans complain about the portal herding college football, Like, yes,
maybe as a whole, but for BAU it has been
such a net positive, such and that positive for us.
Speaker 3: Agreed.
Speaker 2: We got Braton Day Brandon, CEO of Odeon Men's were
what deals do we have for our fans our listeners
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Speaker 3: They're at Odeon Men's Worth.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
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There are some crazy deals there. Boy suits starting at
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So twenty percent off gift cards from now until the
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Speaker 3: Love that deal.
Speaker 2: What else has been on your minds as a fan,
as an insider.
Speaker 3: There in the Cougar sports world?
Speaker 2: What else have you been delving into as we get
prep get ready for the pop Tarts Ball.
Speaker 4: I think the thing I've been just thinking a lot about, honestly,
is just kind of a transport like stuff we talked about,
but also looking at with the recruiting process mixed with
transfer portal like. I know I've listened to some of
your interviews with Anything. It was showing back a few
days ago you were talking about how he was talking
about how the recruiting classes, Like, yes, they can be stacked. Really,
it's still kind of a year to year thing and
how being where BAU is and what they've been doing
and it set them up for good recruiting. But then
if those recruits don't work out, then they obviously move
somewhere else. But at the same time, with recruits, if
we don't hit on recruits, we've been pretty good at
getting those guys to come back around to us after.
I think the trajectory of the program has just been
an all time high right now, and it's just been
so excited to kind of you that trying to kind
of probably some copium there to try and get over
the fact that we didn't make it the playoffs.
Speaker 3: How often do you take copium every day? Oh?
Speaker 2: Man?
Speaker 3: Well? Uh great?
Speaker 4: Was my blue gog was popping copium pills.
Speaker 3: Baby, Hey, I love it.
Speaker 2: You know other guys that have come to BYU this
year from other schools taw Celia Khana last year, Nucy Town,
we Payo from stam for right, like, these are the future,
these are the future stars of this BYU offense or defense.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I think you saw what Nucian after
and cal seely kind of got into the rhythm of things.
We started using them as not even I think Nucy
started what both of them started getting used not just
as third down specialist. And I'm really intrigued to see
next year kind of what that does. I know that
there was when we got into more depth sides of
the games, when we were like the TCU game, when
we got ahead by quite a bit, Newsey was playing
in that that Midia glaster spot. So I was kind
of intrigued to see that and see him not playing
on the line and playing off the ball a little bit.
And then as soon as third down came, he dropped,
he jumped back on the line and they brought a
new package in. And I'm really excited for Nuci. I
think that kid has some really really high upside.
Speaker 2: My guy, uh, I'm gonna put this out as one
of my questions of the day. I want you to
chime in on Twitter, because I gotta I got a
robust list. Pukaakula, much Jack, Kelly, Edy Hecker, Carson, Ryan
Andrew Gentry, Aiden Robbins that was a fan favorite, Chris
Brooks was a fan favorite, Keaton Slovas, Justin Kirkling to
see Lea Kana Neuci, tom Way, Pao Jackson, Craven's shout
out to him.
Speaker 3: How about Will Farron, Jake or you know, I mean,
look will Will.
Speaker 2: If there's a Will, there's a way Will Farron, Isaiah
Ban Yeah, was a favorite, Darius Lassiter, Bear Blackmeyer, Tuger
Bachmeyer obviously. Uh, and there's uh, there's a slew of others.
Speaker 4: Williams Williams, Yeah, yeah, that was I'm trying to remember.
Was that tran that was transfer? I can't remember if
or not.
Speaker 3: I want to say he was.
Speaker 2: He may have been more of a grad transfer, right,
wasn't he the grad transfer transfer?
Speaker 1: No?
Speaker 2: That was a yeah a man, right, yeah, yeah, Tyson
Tyson Williams was before the actual portal era.
Speaker 3: I think he was a graduate transfer.
Speaker 4: Okay, okay, yep, yep.
Speaker 2: You went like Jordan Leslie was a grad transfer, right
like he was. Uh yeah, I'm pretty sure that that's
kind of how it went. And like you got Juco
transfers as well, right, Like Devon Blackman was a Juco transfer.
Speaker 3: Jake was more of a Juco transfer as well, Jake
Retzlaf so.
Speaker 2: But hey, it's fun to talk about appreciate you hopping
on to discuss the transfer portal season with his give
me a score prediction?
Speaker 3: Uh for this? Uh, well, I guess we're not in
score prediction mode yet. We're we're we're in prep.
Speaker 2: I was gonna get a score prediction from you for
the pop Talk Bult. We got to still get a
few scouting reports done before we get into that, but
we appreciate you joining us. Brandon Day, ladies and gentlemen
Odeon Men's Where. Uh. He does a fantastic job there
at Odeon mens Where wants to give you a great
deal so you can look your best, feel your best, and.
Speaker 3: Get out there and do your best. Thank Ben, appreciate you,
my guy. Brandon Day.
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go to break Coming up next, I want to get
the latest on Kyle Whittingham and where he could end up,
why he stepped down from J T wistersill of locked
on utes.
Speaker 3: That up next.
Speaker 2: This is Cougar Sports on one oh three nine ninety
eight point three ESP