It is starting to look like 2024 all over again for the BYU offensive line.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, thanks to steps the Cougars have taken to bolster the depth throughout their entire roster.
That year, center Connor Pay fractured his foot in BYU’s late-September 34-28 win over Baylor, and tackles Caleb Etienne and Brayden Keim and guards Weylin Lapuaho and Sonny Makasini also missed significant playing time with injuries.
This year, the major injury to date was sustained by right tackle Andrew Gentry in Week 3 against Colorado State, a severe ankle injury that has sidelined the senior for the remainder of the season. Top substitute Ethan Thomason has been sidelined since the season began, and now the Cougars are without backup right guard Trevin Ostler. The versatile senior from Bountiful sustained a major injury filling in for Kyle Sfarcioc, who missed last Saturday’s 39-31 loss to UCF and is questionable this week against Arizona State (1:30 p.m. MDT, Fox) at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Offensive line coach TJ Woods said Tuesday that Stanford transfer Zak Yamauchi will get the start Saturday if Sfarcioc can’t go.
“We will see how the week plays out with (Sfarcioc), but Zak is ready,” Woods said. “Zak finished the game (at UCF) on the last play of the game and has been in some packages for us, played some meaningful snaps early in the season and did a formidable job. We are excited about whoever lines up at right guard for us. We will be good.”
Speaking of Ostler, who has been in the program for five years and played a variety of positions, including tight end, head coach Kalani Sitake said the ever-smiling giant has contributed greatly to the culture of the entire program.
“I am just really proud of that young man for all the stuff that he’s done for our program, and he’s filled in at so many different positions,” Sitake said. “He could literally play all the positions and even played tight end for us. So, I am just proud of all the things that Trevin has been able to accomplish on and off the field.”
But the No. 8 Cougars (6-1, 3-1) move on, Woods said, just as they did when Gentry went down and freshman Bott Mulitalo and redshirt freshman Siosiua Latu-Finau stepped in at right tackle.
“In Power Four football, injuries happen. There are a lot of big explosive, powerful humans on the field, and so guys get hurt,” Woods said. “Right now, we got a couple guys down. The positive has been that we really haven’t flinched, with the substitutions that we’ve made. So I’ve been real pleased with that. We’re back in that mindset again.”
Latu-Finau and Mulitalo rotated in the TCU game, but coaches have settled on Mulitalo as the starter moving forward. After a rocky start, Mulitalo is thriving and living up to his billing as a four-star recruit out of Lone Peak High.
“The first step as an O lineman is make sure nobody’s talking about you. He’s done a good job. He took his lumps a little bit with just a few penalties, honestly, which was some questionable stuff, in my opinion, but he has really rebounded,” Woods said. “He played a really good game against Notre Dame, played a decent game against UCF. So I’m excited about his progression and his development.”
Pay’s injury in 2024 eventually paved the way for Bruce Mitchell to become BYU’s starting center, and now the former defensive tackle is an all-conference performer with a chance to play in the NFL. Mitchell said Tuesday that Sitake and Woods and the other offensive line coaches — such as Pay — have established a process in which younger guys are prepared to play when it is their chance.
“Bott (Mulitalo) was playing at Lone Peak last year. He’s been able to just step in and be a great right tackle for us this season,” Mitchell said. “I probably know it better than a lot of guys out here. It’s just next man up, right?
“I am really proud of those guys and how they’re playing and how they have focused on the game plan. … It has been fun to watch those guys go out there and play.”
Despite sustaining all the injuries, BYU’s offensive line remains a candidate for the 2026 Joe Moore Award, which goes to the nation’s top offensive line. The Cougars made the award’s Midseason Honor Roll list, which includes 25 units from across the country.
“Obviously, that’s a tremendous honor for offensive lines across the country, right? So I don’t want to downplay the importance of it, but it really has no effect on Saturday and how we perform,” Woods said. “I’m just trying to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Noted Mitchell, when asked about the honor: “That is a pretty big list of teams. But I think it’s cool. We all recognize it. We have all seen it, but man, it’s just about going back to work. We got a good group of offensive linemen. … All we care about is going 1-0 each and every week.”
