Observations From Day 8 Of BYU Spring Camp

Bear Bachmeier Makes a Pair of Nice Throws

During the media portion of practice, Bear Bachmeier's best throw was a touchdown to Reggie Frischknecht. Bachmeier scrambled to his right and found Frishknecht in the back of the end zone.

Playing outside of the pocket and making throws off-script, in the opinion of this author, could be the next stage of Bachmeier's development. That was an area where he exceled in high school, but in his freshman season, he tried to stay on script as much as possible. That helped limit turnovers in his true freshman season.

While this throw was viewed by the media, it was included in the practice clips provided by BYU. Bachmeier found Jojo Phillips on a deep out route for the first down.

A Few Freshmen Getting More Reps

Speaking of true freshmen, there were multiple true freshman that got reps on Tuesday. Former Lone Peak standout and four-star wide receiver Jaron Pula got a few reps during the team portion. That was the first time the media has seen Pula in action.

Jaron's twin brother Kennan has been getting reps at safety and that continued on Tuesday.

The media also got to see two true freshmen defensive linemen in action: Braxton Lindsey and Nehemiah Kolone. BYU defensive coordinator highlighted those two as two freshmen that have stood out during the first half of Spring Camp.

Former Lehi High School standout running back DeVaughn Eka got a carry during Tuesday's practice as well.

The First-Team Wide Receivers

BYU rotated a variety of wide receivers with the first-team offense. As expected, Jojo Phillips, Kyler Kasper, and Cody Hagen got the first reps with Bear Bachmeier at quarterback. If we had to predict the three starters at wide receiver with just under six months before week one, we would select those three.

Tei Nacua and Reggie Frischknecht were the next wide receivers to rotate in. We expect both Nacua and Frischknecht to get more targets in 2026.

A Name to Remember at Linebacker

Junior linebacker Miles Hall has been getting a lot of first-team reps in Spring Camp. While it's important to note that BYU has held out some veterans like Isaiah Glasker and Siale Esera, it's safe to expect Hall to be in the two-deep at linebacker in a loaded linebacker room.

Tausili Akana has also been getting a lot of run with the first-team defense at linebacker. Akana plays the same position that Nusi Taumoepeau will play when he returns from injury. True freshman Braxton Lindsey plays that position as well. Based on the skillsets of those three players, it's safe to expect Kelly Poppinga will use that position to get after the quarterback. Those three could be three of BYU's best pass rushers.

Some Familiar Names at Defensive Line

There were some familiar names that ran with the first-team defense along the defensive line. Hunter Clege, Viliami Po'uha, Justin Kirkland, and Keanu Tanuvasa got the lion's share of the first-team reps.

Some Familiar Faces

BYU will hold its Pro Day on Friday. As such, a handful of former BYU players were back in Provo as they get ready for their pro days. The most notable face in the crowd was quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Retzlaff will participate in BYU's Pro Day.

Chase Roberts was also in attendance.