BYU Football Player Availability Report For Cincinnati Week
Nov 20, 2025, 8:36 AM
CINCINNATI – The availability report for 11th-ranked BYU football against the Cincinnati Bearcats leaves the Cougars without two players who suffered injuries last week.
BYU football players who will be OUT against Cincinnati
BYU will be without starting left guard Weylin Lapuaho. The senior interior offensive lineman suffered an injury in the 44-13 win over TCU.
On the defensive side, reserve MACK linebacker Max Alford suffered an injury in the second half against the Horned Frogs.
BYU-Cincinnati Availability Report
BYU starting guard Weylin Lapuaho and reserve LB Max Alford are OUT this week.
WR Cody Hagen is Probable. pic.twitter.com/2qgTBKiR4R
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 20, 2025
Without Lapuaho, BYU will turn to a combination of Kyle Sfarcioc and Sonny Makasini. Sfarcioc and Makasini are no strangers to playing this season.
Between the two of them, they have combined to play close to 650 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced stat tracking.
Without Max Alford, BYU’s linebacker depth gets tested.
Alford was tied for the leading tackler in BYU’s win over the Horned Frogs with six tackles.
The starter at the MACK linebacker spot in front of Alford is third-year sophomore Siale Esera, who is sixth on the team this season in tackles.
After Esera, BYU likely turns to true freshman Pierson Watson as the backup.
Watson is a talented true freshman linebacker who was getting second-team reps at times during fall camp practices in August.
Alfong with Alford and Lapuaho, BYU safety Tommy Prassas and running back Sione Moa remain out.
About who could be returning, wide receiver Cody Hagen, who missed last week’s game, has been upgraded to “probable.” The same goes for cornerback Marcus McKenzie.
Hagen is BYU’s fifth-leading receiver this season, and, more notably, he’s the third-leading rusher behind running back LJ Martin and quarterback Bear Bachmeier.
For Cincinnati, the Bearcats are expected to get running back Evan Pryor back. The former Ohio State transfer has missed the past two games with an injury. He’s listed as “probable” this week.
The same goes for Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was in the medical tent for a little bit during the Bearcats’ loss to Arizona last week at Nippert Stadium. Sorsby was getting his ankle looked at, but as he noted this week, “feeling good heading into Saturday.”
No. 11 BYU at Cincinnati
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Location: Nippert Stadium
Kickoff: 6 p.m. (MST)/8 p.m. (EST)
TV: FOX
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Extended pregame coverage begins at Noon from Cincinnati
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
