Observations From BYU Football’s Final Spring Camp Practice
Mar 30, 2024, 6:59 PM
Observations from the 15th and final BYU football spring practice of 2024. (Courtesy of BYU Photo)
(Courtesy of BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – The 15th and final BYU football spring camp practice occurred on Saturday.
BYU began the practice outside at the Student Athlete Building and finished inside the Indoor Practice Facility due to the ominous clouds above Provo.
#BYU Spring Football 🤙@Mitch_Harper & @baiamontematt close the book on spring practices for the 2024 season.#BYUFootball #GoCougs #Big12 pic.twitter.com/P2ZWLZPESP
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 30, 2024
The media observed an action-packed 30 minutes to close out spring camp.
We were able to watch four different quarterbacks throughout the observation period. It began with Gerry Bohanon, followed by Jake Retzlaff. Both QBs are “neck and neck” in the competition that will carry into fall camp.
After those two, we saw freshmen signal-callers Ryder Burton and Noah Lugo take the field.
In my opinion, Bohanon was the best quarterback during the observation window.
Gerry Bohanon generates a touchdown drive in final spring practice
Bohanon appeared to be with the first-team offense. One of Bohanon’s best throws was a strike to Chase Roberts near the sideline with Jakob Robinson in coverage. Bohanon’s ball placement on the pass was in a spot where Roberts was the only one who could make a play on the ball.
The former Baylor and USF quarterback generated a touchdown drive when he connected with Parker Kingston over the middle for a score.
Notable plays during Jake Retzlaff’s drive
Jake Retzlaff had his share of nice plays through the air, which included a big gain to tight end Ray Paulo.
Retzlaff showed excellent ball placement near the sideline on a pass to redshirt freshman receiver Devin Downing.
On the flip side, Retzlaff had a pass he tried to squeeze into a tight window for freshman Dominique McKenzie that was batted down by a defensive back.
Retzlaff’s offensive series during the media window featured a false start penalty that backed up the offense. They later had to settle on a field goal attempt from Matthias Dunn. He missed the attempt.
BYU football freshmen Ryder Burton and Noah Lugo
As noted earlier, Burton and Lugo took snaps to close the practice. Both players faced what appeared to be the defense’s potential scout team this fall.
Burton, a former Springville High standout, had a pass intended for Weston Covey that Kevin Doe broke up.
The dual-threat prospect showed his ability to run on one play call. All quarterbacks on Saturday were sporting no-contact green jerseys, so he wasn’t hit on the play.
Noah Lugo showed off his armed strength on a pass intended for a walk-on tryout receiver. Kevin Doe blanketed the receiver, but Lugo’s arm strength was noteworthy from that attempt.
Defensive highlights
Linebacker Ace Kaufusi generated a sack on Jake Retzlaff. Kaufusi didn’t hit Retzlaff, but it was whistled as a sack after he generated some pressure against BYU’s second-team offensive line.
Cornerback Zion Allen had a pass breakup on a pass intended for Devin Downing from Retzlaff.
Faces in the crowd
Former Super Bowl champion and BYU defensive lineman Chris Hoke attended practice on Saturday. Hoke’s son, Nathan, is a freshman linebacker in the program currently recovering from an injury.
Corner Canyon High School tight end Jordan Vyborny attended practice. The three-star prospect from the 2025 recruiting class moved to Utah for the upcoming 2024 season. He previously attended Harlem High School in Illinois.
Vyborny has added offers from Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Michigan State in the past week.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.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 in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
