BYU is making a flurry of roster moves to solidify its 2025 season.
After a few late entrants to the transfer portal, including starters Keelan Marion and Harrison Taggart, BYU went looking for reinforcements.
To bolster the wide receiver room after Marion left, coach Fesi Sitake signed Stanford receiver Tiger Bachmeier. He was recruited by Oregon, Cal and Arizona out of high school and made six starts as a freshman on the farm.
The Cougars added Bachmeier’s brother, Bear, to the quarterback room, too. That gives BYU another option behind starter Jake Retzlaff, supplementing the duo of McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet.
On the defensive side, coordinator Jay Hill hasn’t added a linebacker to replace Taggart. Unlike the receiver position, there are plenty of internal options to start in that role. Linebacker is one of BYU’s deepest rooms.
(Young Kwak | AP) Former Stanford wide receiver Tiger Bachmeier (24) prepares to block during the second half against Washington State on Nov. 4, 2023, in Pullman, Wash. Bachmeier and his brother, Bear Bachmeier, have transferred to BYU.
But Hill did add to the defensive line like he wanted to. After spring, Hill knew that BYU was thin at the position. So he added a starter with Oklahoma State’s Justin Kirkland. He played at Roy High School and will now start alongside Keanu Tanuvasa.
The tight end position was also light coming out of spring camp, and BYU added a possible rotation piece. New Mexico’s Keayen Nead (a former Weber State standout) will join the group that is headlined by former Utah player Carsen Ryan.
The Big Thing
Ryan hasn’t received nearly as much heat as Tanuvasa for transferring from Utah to BYU.
Part of that is because Ryan only played one year in Salt Lake City and wasn’t a foundational piece to Utah’s puzzle. He started five games and had 113 receiving yards.
But as Ryan reflected on the recruiting process that brought him from UCLA to Utah, he thinks he rushed his choice and made the wrong turn.
“Coming out [of the transfer portal] the first time I was pretty set on going toward Utah. I neglected being recruited by other schools,” Ryan said. “If I had taken more time, I feel like BYU would have been the school I would have gone to.”
At Utah, the tight end went into a loaded room
Ryan, meanwhile, was hurt for most of the offseason. He returned in July, but didn’t have much of a role. When the Utes fired offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, Ryan didn’t see a future anymore.
“After Ludwig had left, and the offense had turned away from the tight end, I didn’t think this is what I hoped for out of the portal,” Ryan assessed. “I went into the transfer portal the first time hoping for that [tight end usage]. It was hard to share the ball with so many guys. I got hurt in the offseason so I missed spring ball and didn’t get back until July. It was hard to find my place in the offense there.”
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) At American Fork High School, tight end Carsen Ryan was one of the state's top recruits.
Now, he figures to be the key to unlocking BYU’s tight end position. Last year, the Cougars brought in new tight end coach Kevin Gilbride, who wants to use a pass-catching tight end. He didn’t have any in his first year, so added one in the portal.
Ryan is BYU’s best option at that spot and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick wants to use the tight end more as Retzlaff goes into year two as a starter.
“I want to be more of a pass-catching tight end and grow that part of my game. To be able to use my athleticism, and I feel like I’m a pretty athletic guy,” Ryan said. “Use that to get a lot of separation at the second level and BYU is a good place to let me showcase that.”
As for the ire of a fanbase for transferring from Utah to BYU, Ryan isn’t paying too much attention to that part. At least not until game week.
“Got a lot of friends on that team,” Ryan said. “Hopefully we beat them.”
Fourth down
Harrison Taggart has his destination. He will play at Cal after leaving Provo this spring.
Marion also knows where he is going. The starting receiver will play at Miami next year.
AJ Dybantsa is on campus at BYU for summer classes. The first priority is to get Dybantsa into the strength and conditioning program. He will leave for Switzerland in late June to play for Team USA’s U19 team. He’ll be back for BYU’s formal summer workouts.
Team USA is slated to play Austria, France and Cameroon in group play from June 28- July 1.
BYU added Idaho shooter Tyler Mrus to the roster. He is the 11th scholarship player on the 2025 roster.
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