Eye on the Y: The Tribune’s weekly roundup of news and notes from around the Big 12 conference.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Ben Bywater (2) as BYU hosts East Carolina, NCAA football in Provo on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022.
BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill played his fifth- and sixth-string safety against TCU last weekend. He also turned to several backup linebackers and cornerbacks to fill in the gaps.
After a 44-11 loss, there was hope that help was the way. But on Monday, Kalani Sitake confirmed that reinforcements aren’t coming. BYU lost three more defenders for the season.
Starting linebacker Ben Bywater, who had been out for the last month with a shoulder injury, will be shut down for the season. He will get surgery in the coming weeks and his future with the Cougars is in flux.
“If you guys know Ben he is going to want to play,” Sitake said. “As we started to get more information, the best thing to do was look at his options and decide for him rather than him decide for himself. Looking into it with his family, that is the right decision. Get the surgery, get healthy and not put him in harm’s way.”
Bywater could come back next season, but also could go to the NFL. He told The Salt Lake Tribune in March that he was treating 2023 like his final season in Provo before entering the NFL Draft. An injury complicates the decision. He has been BYU’s leading tackler the last two years.
Safety Tanner Wall is also out for the year and underwent surgery.
Wall was a surprise starter for Hill in the secondary, filling in for the injured Micah Harper and Talan Alfrey. Now BYU will play Preston Rex and freshman Raider Damuni. They combined for 78 snaps last Saturday. The Cougars have veteran safety Malik Moore too, but he has played sparingly and was pulled quickly in Fort Worth.
Lastly, defensive end Michael Daley left the team and will enter the transfer portal. It makes the line slightly more thin. But Daley was not a starter.
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