Canβt wait for @TeiNacua to continue to blossom!! Yes, he is part of the great family legacy, but heβs his own man and he will prove that! Grateful to have another member of the amazing Nacua family joining the Cougar family! π€π½
Today, BYU previews passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Fesi Sitake, along with the wide receiver position.
Coach Fesi Sitake
Entering his sixth season with the Cougars, Fesi Sitake returns as the passing game coordinator and wide receiver's coach.
Sitake has been instrumental in developing BYUβs potent offensive attack in recent seasons, including getting receivers in the NFL, most recently Puka Nacua, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and Dax Milne, a 2021 seventh-rounder to Washington.
In 2022, Nacua led BYU's receivers with 48 receptions and 625 yards. He also had five touchdowns receiving and five more on the ground. For his Cougar career, Nacua totaled 1,430 yards on 91 receptions along with 11 touchdown grabs.
In 2020, Sitake coached the Cougars to rankings of No. 3 in scoring offense (43.5 ppg), No. 6 in total offense (522.2 ypg) and No. 8 in passing offense (332.1 ppg) while ranking in the top 15 in 10 different statistical categories overall.
Sitake mentored former walk-on receiver Dax Milne, who in 2020 finished No. 4 in the nation with 1,188 receiving yards on 70 catches with 8 receiving TDs (No. 18 in nation) in his first year as full-time starter. He also coached Gunner Romney to 767 yards on 39 receptions and average 19.7 yards per catch in 2020βNo. 15 nationally.
Prior to coming to BYU in 2018, Sitake was the offensive coordinator at Weber State in 2016 and 2017, in addition to working as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2014-15.
In 2017, Sitake helped lead the Wildcats to a Big Sky Conference title, a school-record 11 wins, two wins in the FCS playoffs, a top-10 national ranking and the No. 18 FCS scoring offense at 33.7 points per game.
Sitake spent three seasons at Southern Utah, his alma mater, working as the passing game coordinator (2013), wide receivers coach (2012-13) and as a student assistant (2011). He helped get the Thunderbirds to its first FCS Playoff berth in 2013.
βFirst I think theyβre very well coached. I think Coach Fesi Sitake does such a great job. It's probably the most well coached group Iβve been around ever, super disciplined. They know the depth of their routes like the back of their hand. They work hard to do things the right way and it makes my job as a quarterback easier when you can trust these guys.β
BYU Quarterback Kedon Slovis on the wide receivers
BYU Wide Receivers Preview
BYU returns three contributors from the 2022 team, including Keanu Hill, a 6-foot-4, 215-pounder that led the team with seven touchdowns last season.
Hill grabbed 36 catches for 572 yards and seven scores and was named to the College Football Network All-Independent Team. In 2021, Hill had 18 receptions, 343 yards and two touchdowns. Hill has appeared in 37 games with 11 starts in his career.
BYU also returns freshman All-America honorable mention, Kody Epps, now a redshirt sophomore. He was named to the preseason Pro Football Focus All-Big 12 second team following last year's 39 receptions, 459 yards and six touchdowns in just eight games.
Chase Roberts also returns after seeing action in 11 games in 2022, recording 22 catches, 357 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cougars went into the transfer portal at the wide receiver position as well, grabbing two big additions in Keelan Marion out of UConn and Darius Lassiter from Eastern Michigan.
Marion, a 6-foot, 200-pounder from Atlanta, Georgia, played in four 2022 regular season games, along with UConn's bowl game and preserved a redshirt season. In 2021, Marion started all 12 games for the Huskies and led the team in receiving yards with 474 on 28 catches and five touchdowns.
Lassiter comes from Eastern Michigan and appeared in 13 games, catching 40 passes for 471 yards and four touchdowns. Prior to the Eagles, Lassiter played 17 games at Butler College for two seasons, playing in 17 games and caught 51 passes for 913 yards and 13 scores. He was named an NJCAA All-American honorable mention in 2021.
BYU returns Hobbs Nyberg, who has served as the primary punt returner, along with Talmage Gunther, speedster Parker Kingston, Dom Henry and Kade Moore to the wide receiver toom in 2023.
Other newcomers include top recruit Josiah "Jojo" Phillips, a coveted 6-foot-5, 190-pound receiver from Sierra Canyon High School, Jake Hill, Kevin Doe, Koa Eldredge and American Fork standout Devin Downing.
Link to the article:
https://t.co/ujZTxEVU3x
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