BYU Will ‘Let Bowl Game Play Out’ Before Decision From Chase Roberts
Dec 17, 2024, 10:14 PM | Updated: 10:19 pm
BYU football wide receiver Chase Roberts has a decision to make. Stay at BYU or move on to the NFL. (Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – BYU wide receiver Chase Roberts has a decision to make.
Will he stay at BYU for one final season in 2025, or will he move on to pursue a career in the NFL?
Roberts said earlier this fall in an interview with the Royal Blue Collective that he was “leaning more towards leaving to the draft.”
During BYU’s final home game against Houston last month, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver from American Fork High also went through Senior Day festivities.
BYU’s Fesi Sitake has held conversations with Chase Roberts
Still, that hasn’t stopped BYU Passing Game Coordinator and Wide Receivers coach Fesi Sitake from communicating with Roberts on a possible return.
“We were ahead of it on our second bye week,” Fesi Sitake told KSL Sports about his conversations with Chase Roberts regarding the 2025 season. “He’s level-headed enough and mature enough not to let that stuff get to him. But you have to talk about that stuff and get ahead because it has to do with our planning.
Chase Roberts was recognized during #BYU’s Senior Day.
Roberts still has one year of eligibility remaining if he wanted to return in 2025.#BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/JPlSUgRGO9
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 1, 2024
“So we had a great talk in the second bye week, and the consensus was, we’re going to let this bowl game play out, and he’s gonna have a quick decision. We’ve had some great talks.”
This season, Roberts leads BYU in receiving yards (843) and receptions (51). He’s also tied for the most receiving touchdowns this season (4).
The Alamo Bowl gives Roberts an excellent opportunity to impress NFL scouts. He will likely face Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
Not only is Hunter the best player in college football, but many draftniks project the Colorado superstar as a Top-3 pick in next April’s draft.
Roberts is moving up the all-time career receiving yards list
The production from Roberts in 2024 has put him among some of the greats in BYU football history. He’s currently 21st all-time in career receiving yards at BYU. Another 16 receiving yards would put him in the top 20, passing former tight end Jonny Harline.
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If Roberts had another 800+ yards in 2025, as he’s produced this year, he could get close to the top five for career receiving yards in BYU football history.
Offensive Coordinator Aaron Roderick said that BYU has a “really good team coming back” for the 2025 season and that “good players have already told us they’re staying.”
When asked if Roberts was one of the players who planned to stay for next season, Roderick replied, “I’m gonna let our players do their own thing on that. But we’ve had some good players that we really like tell us they’re staying, and we’re excited about that.”
“Full support”
Whatever decision Roberts makes, BYU’s staff is going to support the move.
“The nice thing is, whatever he does, I know it’s the right thing because of the way he carries himself and how he handles this process,” Fesi Sitake said. “Selfishly, I want him to stay. But I know whatever he does, he’s gonna have my full support and the team’s full support.”
No. 17 BYU vs. No. 23 Colorado
2024 Alamo Bowl
Date: Saturday, December 28th, 2024
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. (MST)
TV: ABC
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM — Extended pregame begins at Noon)
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.
