BYU Football: Which Players Are On Pace To Redshirt In 2023?

PROVO, Utah – It’s hard to believe, but there’s only one month left in the regular season for BYU football in 2023. The inaugural campaign in the Big 12 is moving fast.

It’s a perfect time to size up which players could be moving toward a redshirt season.

Being in the Big 12, there won’t be many opportunities to play the seldomly used players as in years past as an Independent. But it’s a good snapshot to know where BYU stands with some of the personnel they want to maintain as redshirts going into the future.

As a reminder, the NCAA allows FBS players to appear in up to four games and still maintain their redshirt. It was a rule that was first introduced in 2018.

BYU football players with redshirts available who haven’t appeared in a game

Hinckley Ropati, Running Back

Jake Retzlaff, Quarterback

Cole Hagen, Quarterback

Ryder Burton, Quarterback

Jake Hill, Wide Receiver

Nukuluve Helu, Running Back

Kevin Doe, Wide Receiver

Ty Burke, Safety

Maika Kaufusi, Linebacker

Bentley Redden, Tight End

Jordan Kapisi, Kicker

Naseri Danielson, Linebacker

Nason Coleman, Tight End

Lucky Finau, Linebacker

Joseph Paulo, Offensive Line

Weston Jones, Offensive Line

Jake Griffin, Offensive Line

Kaden Chidester, Offensive Line

Devin Downing, Wide Receiver

Bruce Mitchell, Defensive Line

Matthias Dunn, Kicker

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has made it clear from the beginning of the season that he wants to redshirt quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Retzlaff consistently takes the second-team reps in practice as he continues to develop with a chance to potentially be BYU’s starting signal-caller in 2024.

Hinckley Folau Ropati entered this season as a senior. He suffered a season-ending injury during fall camp. The 2023 season is his fourth with the BYU program, but the 2020 season was a free year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That free year of eligibility allows for him to have a redshirt this year to potentially come back next season.

A player from this group to watch for down the road is offensive lineman Kaden Chidester. He’s currently dealing with an upper-body injury that has him sidelined, but he took some snaps with the second-team offensive line this past spring. Chidester is a big body at 6-foot-8, 290-pounds.

Potential redshirts with one game appearance

Jojo Phillips, Wide Receiver

Jackson Bowers, Tight End

Jayden Dunlap, Cornerback

Miles Hall, Linebacker

Landon Rehkow, Punter

In a perfect world, all of these players redshirt this season and take on more prominent roles in the program in 2024 and beyond.

Former Skyline High product Miles Hall could be someone that goes past the four games as he suited up last week in the Texas Tech game for the first time this season. Hall primarily took snaps at special teams in the 27-14 win.

Two game appearances

Siale Esera, Linebacker

John Henry Daley, Defensive Line

It’s probably unlikely these guys get the luxury to redshirt this season, as both have been elevated on the depth chart after injuries or departures to veteran players. Esera and Daley both made their debuts earlier this month in the loss at TCU.

Newcomers who have already played in more than four BYU games in 2023

LJ Martin, Running Back

Ace Kaufusi, Linebacker

Marcus McKenzie, Cornerback

Raider Damuni, Safety

Koa Eldredge, Wide Receiver

David Latu, Defensive Line

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast () and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.