BYU will kick off the fall camp next week. On media day in June, BYU released a 2022 roster that included 34 players who weren’t on the roster last season. Here are 10 newcomers to watch during the fall camp.
Christopher Brooks – RB
BYU must replace single-season racing leader Tyler Allgeier who is now in the NFL. BYU appears to have found Allgeier’s replacement in the transfer of Cal Christopher Brooks. Brooks is already a proven college football talent. He ran over 1,700 yards during his career at Cal.
Brooks signed up for courses in January and attended the spring camp. After an impressive performance at spring camp, Brooks was named initial running back. Brooks will play a key role in the BYU attack and is a name to keep an eye on before opening.
Tate Romney – LB
Tate Romney is the younger brother of BYU wide receiver Gunner Romney and former BYU quarterback Baylor Romney. Tate was a highly publicized Chandler High School recruit who signed with the Cougars for competing offers from the likes of Utah, Cal, Arizona, Kansas State, and Colorado, among others.
Tate returned home from his mission in April, so he probably won’t be contributing right away when he gets back in football form. He is also entering a linebacker room with a lot of returning experience. Still, Tate has the knack to be a star in BYU’s defense in the future and is a name worth monitoring in the next month. Don’t be surprised if you hear him mentioned as a star during the fall camp, and don’t be surprised if he views the camp as a real freshman.
Bodie Schoonover – LB
Speaking of recently returned missionaries, Bodie Schoonover returned from his mission during the same week as Tate Romney. Like Romney, Schoonover was a highly publicized rookie in his own right. Schoonover has committed to BYU for Power Five schools such as UCLA, Utah, and Nebraska.
Schoonover has the same mission-related obstacles to overcome as Tate Romney before he can see the pitch consistently. But he’s another newcomer who could see the pitch at the end this season and put himself in a position to be a key part of BYU’s defense going forward.
Gabe Jeudy-Lally – DB
The second transfer to be on our list is the transfer of Vanderbilt Gabe Jeudy-Lally. Jeudy-Lally was one of the most experienced defenders in the transfer portal when he joined BYU. He has played 770 shots for Vanderbilt’s defense in the past two seasons and amassed 50 total tackles and one interception for the Commodores last season.
After entering the relocation portal in late November, he received offers from Illinois, Iowa State, Purdue, and Colorado before receiving an offer and eventually engaging with BYU. Jeudy-Lally has the talent and experience to see the pitch right away.
Dom Henry – WR
Dom Henry is a Florida wide receiver who trained Nease High School. As a senior, Henry led the state of Florida in yard reception. In fact, he led the state in receiving yards by a large margin. Henry amassed 1,590 yards in reception as a senior: the distance between Henry and runner up was the same distance between runner up and ninth.
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Henry walks into a room full of receivers who may not be looking for collaborators this season, but will compete to be one of the next in line when guys like Gunner Romney and Puka Nacua graduate.
Korbyn Green – DB
Like others on this list, Korbyn Green walks into a room that returns a lot of experience. The BYU defense returns more experience than any team in the country. While this bodes well for 2022, it leaves BYU needing to find the next wave of defensive directors for its first season in the Big 12 in 2023.
Korbyn Green has the potential to play a major role when D’Angelo Mandell and Kaleb Hayes graduate. Green signed with BYU on her latest recruiting class outside Oklahoma, and her staff were thrilled with her potential.
Kingsley Suamatai – OL
Credit: BYU Photo
Kingsley Suamataia is a newcomer who will likely be in the starting lineup for the opening against the USF. Suamataia is one of the most physically gifted players on the BYU roster. Former five-star offensive lineman of the 2021 class, Suamataia moved to BYU from Oregon during his freshman season.
Suamataia has been named as co-starter in multiple positions coming out of the spring. In this author’s opinion, Suamataia will lock in a starter job for BYU’s opening at the USF and will be considered one of BYU’s best players by the end of the season.
Houston Heimuli – FB
Houston Heimuli, who was a captain at Stanford last season, is the son of former BYU running back Lakei Heimuli. Heimuli will have an immediate impact on and off the pitch. He has been listed as a full-back co-starter coming out of the spring, and brings his veteran presence to the locker room.
Houston will wear number 35 for the Cougars, the same number his father wore when he was playing for BYU.
Why Moa – DL
Aisea Moa signed with BYU as a four-star defensive lineman out of Weber High School. Moa may need a year or two before taking on a starting role in BYU defense: he has been listed as a third-row defender out of the spring. However, BYU pivots a lot of guys down the defensive line and got to see the pitch this season. If BYU’s line of defense is dented, Moa could play an important role as a true freshman.
Evan Johnson – DB
BYU has signed more defenders as part of the 2022 signing class. Evan Johnson may have the greatest potential of them all. Johnson ran a 10.41 100m last spring, instantly making him one of the fastest players on the roster. Primary Johnson played wide catcher in high school, so he will need some time to adjust to playing as a defender. If he crosses the learning curve of a new position, he has a very high ceiling as a cornerback.
Johnson won’t play defense right away, but he’s physically gifted enough to contribute in other ways like special teams.