Revving the engine: BYU football optimistic about offensive line depth

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has a lot of different questions to answer as he gets the Cougar offense prepared for the 2023 season.
Who will back up Kedon Slovis at quarterback?
How will the running back reps be divided?
Which wide receivers are the best deep threats or going over the middle?
What will be the optimal run-pass balance?
But during interviews on Friday, Roderick said one of the toughest dilemmas is figuring out which five guys will start on the offensive line.
“That is probably the biggest question of this camp,” Roderick said. “Who are those five, six, seven, eight guys going to be? I think we have eight guys who have started Power Five-level games. We’ve got a good group and it’s a challenge.”
He said that the offensive line group stood out with its performance over the first few days of camp.
“We’re deep there,” Roderick said. “There are a bunch of those guys who are getting better everyday.”
BYU junior offensive lineman Connor Pay said he likes the mentality he has seen as the team has gotten going.
“I think we want to be great,” Pay said. “That’s the first thing. And that starts with practice. You can’t just be great on Saturdays. Everyone is playing hard.”
He credits the veteran leadership for establishing the right tone from the outset.
“Having some of the transfers come in, bringing in the veteran presence, has been great,” Pay said. “It’s been all business, all the time. It’s been really smooth on that front and I’ve been really happy.
“When you have guys who have been around the block a little bit, they know how a training camp is supposed to look. They are being able to hold everyone accountable and keep the intensity of practice high. They are guys who have done it before.”
He sees that translating into the performance on the field, which has been positive. He pointed out, however, that developing chemistry is what takes the most time.
“There haven’t been a lot of missed assignments,” Pay said. “I think that speaks to the veteran presence. Guys are in their playbooks and they know what it takes. I think it is more learning how the guys around you play. Everyone is a little different, so getting used to playing together is more the challenge on that front.”
With a group that includes Pay, Kingsley Suamataia, Brayden Keim, Paul Maile, Simi Moala and Caleb Etienne as well as a host of others, Roderick has a number of athletes to choose from.
He knows, however, that he’s probably going to need a lot of them before the end of November.
“It’s also a long season, so there is probably zero chance that the same five guys are going to play 12 or 13 games,” Roderick said. “You have to have versatility there and have some lineup options.”
That also means the Cougars need guys to be ready to fill different slots, depending on the circumstances. Pay got some time at guard last week, which was a move from his normal spot at center.
“I spent the first half of my redshirt freshman year at guard, so I’ve done it before,” Pay said. “It was kind of fun to go back to guard. It’s a little less to think about than at center, so you can just go run and play. It’s fun playing next to Paul (Maile) and I enjoy it a lot.”
He said he also knows he’s got to be prepared for the costs of playing a physical game.
“Whatever the coaches think is going to put us in the best position to win, I’ll do,” Pay said. “Center isn’t a position you typically change unless you have to, so I don’t know how that will look. Regardless of where I’m asked to play, it’s rare for five guys to spend the entire season together. Someone gets banged up somewhere, so having seven or eight guys who are starter-caliber players is huge. That’s what we have had every year I’ve been here.”
The bottom line for BYU’s offense is that to be the type of team Roderick wants them to be every year, the offensive line needs to be excellent.
“Our overall identity is going to be the same,” Roderick said. “We want to have a physical run game and throw the ball down the field. We have a lot of physical guys who like contact.”