Key BYU Football Storylines Entering Big 12 Media Days
Jul 7, 2025, 4:04 PM | Updated: 8:15 pm
FRISCO, Texas – BYU football takes center stage at The Star, home of the Dallas Cowboys, on Tuesday to kick off Big 12 Media Days.
Moments after Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addresses the media at 9:30 a.m. (MDT), BYU head coach Kalani Sitake will be at the podium answering questions.
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It’s set to be a loaded day of content, with no shortage of questions.
Here are some of the key storylines that are sure to be hot topics here in Texas.
BYU football quarterback situation
The quarterback situation for BYU football might be one of the top three storylines for all of Big 12 Media Days.
Jake Retzlaff is reportedly set to enter the Transfer Portal, even though he hasn’t officially entered yet, as he faces an honor code violation.
Quarterback talk is going to be a big conversation among the national media here in Frisco.
BYU and school officials have been quiet regarding Retzlaff since the civil lawsuit against him was filed on May 21. However, now that the lawsuit is officially dismissed, what will head coach Kalani Sitake say on the matter?
After Jake Retzlaff, BYU football has three contenders to compete for the starting job in Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead, Western Michigan transfer Treyson Bourguet, and true freshman Stanford transfer Bear Bachmeier.
Getting thoughts from Sitake on each of those three, along with incoming freshman Emerson Geilman, will be top of mind.
Is BYU built to avoid a typical Big 12 slide?
The Big 12 Conference comprises 16 teams that can win the league in any given year. It’s also a league that could quickly send you from the top down to the bottom.
Is BYU built to avoid the letdown that Big 12 teams like Baylor experienced in 2022, TCU in 2023, Arizona, Utah, and Oklahoma State in 2024, all went through?
The unpredictability of the Big 12 is one reason the conference moved away from a preseason media poll. Last year, the media placed Arizona State to finish 16th; they ended up winning the league.
The strength of BYU football entering the 2025 season will reside on the defensive side.
BYU had the number one defense in the Big 12 Conference last year. They could be better this fall with an overhauled defensive line, excellent linebackers, and proven depth in the secondary.
The schedule on paper appears favorable, but road trips to Colorado, Iowa State, and Texas Tech are not easy. Then there are home games against rival Utah and TCU.
BYU’s nonconference schedule is light, so they should be in a great position to get off to a strong start before league play. But this league has shown that every year is an entirely new season.
Keanu Tanuvasa leaves Utah to join the BYU program
One of the five BYU players who will be answering questions at Big 12 Media Day is defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa.
When landing a player with offers from many Power Four teams, it’s a big story. The story intensifies when a player crosses the rivalry lines in the heated BYU/Utah rivalry.
Tanuvasa will be a big story.
He won’t run into his old Utah teammates as they will take center stage inside The Star on Wednesday, while BYU goes through the Dallas Cowboys’ facility on Tuesday.
Still, there are high expectations for Tanuvasa, who BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill believes could be one of the best defensive tackles in the country.
All-Big 12 selection Chase Roberts is a veteran at Media Days
BYU wide receiver Chase Roberts is running it back for one more year.
Roberts initially planned to make last year his final season at BYU, but he decided to return for another year.
It’s a big win for BYU’s wide receiver unit as Roberts will be the veteran leader.
On Monday, Roberts was selected by the media as a preseason All-Big 12 first team selection.
He will probably get showered with questions about the All-Conference nod, but Roberts is a veteran of the Media Day circuit. Last year, he was in Las Vegas to field questions from the assembled media in the Big 12.
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.
