BYU Football Players Ready To Produce Fireworks During 2021 Season
Jul 3, 2021, 9:04 AM
BYU defensive end Tyler Batty makes a tackle in the Cougars win over Louisiana Tech on October 2nd, 2020. (BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey)
(BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey)
PROVO, Utah – BYU football heads into the Independence Day weekend at two months till the season opener against the Arizona Wildcats in Las Vegas.
There are still many questions to be sorted out between now and kickoff for the 2021 edition of the Cougars. But some players already have the makings of being ready to produce…well, since it’s 4th of July…fireworks this season.
Rest assured, Kalani Sitake will not ban any of these guys from creating some fireworks on the field in 2021.
Check out these five players, who I believe are ready to give BYU football some fireworks this year.
Tyler Allgeier, Running Back
He’s one of the nation’s top returning running backs after an impressive season that saw him rush for 1,130 yards in 2020.
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Allgeier has the potential to carry BYU on the ground if the passing game goes sideways against any of the Power 5 competition they face this fall.
Max Tooley, Linebacker
The linebacker position is the strength of the BYU football defense in 2021. Three guys lead the way in that group: Payton Wilgar, Keenan Pili, and Max Tooley.
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Tooley isn’t as proven of a commodity as Wilgar and Pili to fans, but he might have the highest potential.
BYU is multiple in their defensive fronts that adjust weekly to the opposition they face in a given week. Tooley was once a highly-regarded recruit coming out of Bountiful High in the 2016 class. Look for Tooley to be a do-it-all linebacker that BYU has been known to have in the last 20 years. He fits the mold and has the potential to be a star this season in BYU’s defense.
Gunner Romney, Wide Receiver
Throughout Gunner Romney’s career at BYU, he has battled various injuries. However, when healthy, he’s one of the top receivers, and right now, he’s healthy and ready for the 2021 season.
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The arrival of transfers Puka and Samson Nacua, but Romney has embraced the competition and is excited for what those guys can do to open things for him.
Romney had 767 receiving yards and two touchdown grabs. Look for those numbers to go up this season, as he will be one of the top targets for whoever starts at quarterback this fall.
Tyler Batty, Defensive End
Batty signed with BYU in the class of 2017, but with the free year of eligibility last season due to COVID-19, the Payson, Utah native, is still only a true freshman with the Cougars.
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Don’t expect him to perform like your typical true freshman.
Last year, before suffering a lower leg injury, Batty appeared in four games and had 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks.
Kalani Sitake has been high on Batty since he landed a commitment from Batty back in 2016. Now is Batty’s time to become the face of a defensive line unit, needing a standout star this season and in the years to come.
Chaz Ah You, Safety
One position that has some questions going into the 2021 campaign is the safety spot. But when you talk to defensive coaches, like safeties coach Ed Lamb about this room, the first name mentioned is always Chaz Ah You.
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Ah You will be one of the starters at the safety spot this season. A former four-star recruit, Ah You, is healthy after having surgery on a lower-leg injury last year.
He’s one of the more versatile prospects in the program and has an NFL ceiling. Now it’s a matter of staying healthy, and he could make an impact similar to what Kai Nacua did during his time at safety for the Cougars.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
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