2024 was supposed to be the year BYU finally broke through. The Cougars were steamrolling everybody and were undefeated until November. They looked like a legit Playoff contender with Jake Retzlaff slinging it with confidence, until everything crumbled. Two regular-season losses down the stretch crushed the playoff dreams. Though they bounced back with a bowl win over Colorado, the momentum didn’t last. Retzlaff, who was seen as the key to their 2025 hopes, is now gone, leaving Kalani Sitake scrambling. It was a total curveball right to the heart of Cougar Nation.

On Monday, former BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff officially committed to Tulane after dipping out of Provo under a cloud of controversy. The dual-threat signal-caller was suspended last month for violating BYU’s honor code, which ultimately ended his time in the program. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. In 2024, Retzlaff put up nearly 3,000 yards, stacked 20 touchdowns, and added another 400-plus on the ground. He ran BYU’s offense like it was a backyard barbecue. Hot, chaotic, but somehow efficient. The Cougars went 11–2 and torched Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. BYU fans were dreaming of playoff games in the future until it was all ripped away from their grasp.

Enter Joel Klatt, who did not hold back on ‘The Joel Klatt Show’ when breaking down his stock picks for 2025. “This is an easy sell,” Klatt said, slapping a red tag on BYU’s playoff stock. “Unfortunate for this program, but this is just what happens right now.” Klatt said as he broke it down. BYU started 9–0 last year and had the playoffs in sight. Then they lost two of their last three before barely salvaging pride against Colorado. But that momentum? It hinged on one guy, Retzlaff. “ He was a good leader for them from last year. They believed in him. And now all of a sudden, you lose your quarterback, and the three-man battle has had no time to develop.”

Let’s talk about that battle. BYU’s current QB room sorely is lacking in experience. McCae Hillstead, a four-start vet from Utah State with 1062 yards. Treyson Bourguet, who bounced from Western Michigan with eight starts. And Bear Bachmeier, a Stanford transplant who’s yet to even blink in a Power Four game. That’s 12 total starts combined and zero against real Big 12 talent. Klatt didn’t sugarcoat it. “That’s tough. It’s really tough to overcome that.”

But the real sting? That defense everyone was drooling over last year is now missing in action. BYU’s D was the backbone in 2024. No. 1 in scoring defense. No. 1 in total defense. And tied for first in turnovers. But guess what? Eight starters are gone. Their sack rate was already weak (ranked 108th), and with the entire D-line turned over, that pressure problem just got uglier. They brought in Keanu Tanuvasa from Utah, sure. But he’s one guy. It takes more than a single Band-Aid to patch up a trench.

So, is BYU toast? Not entirely. But without Retzlaff, they’ve lost more than a quarterback. They’ve lost the anchor that kept their playoff dreams as Kalani continues to search for his next signal caller.

Kalani Sitake is putting his stocks on JoJo Phillips

Still, in the middle of this quarterback soap opera, Kalani Sitake isn’t hitting the panic button. He’s betting on his wideout, Jojo Phillips. Jojo who? You’re about to know the name. Phillips, a redshirt sophomore who popped off late last season, is now getting the full spotlight.

Sitake isn’t being coy about it either. “Jojo Phillips is fast, athletic, tall, and long,” Sitake said. “He’s got a lot of things going for him.” At 6’5″ with jets for legs, Phillips didn’t just step onto the scene, he lit it up like Vegas at midnight. He averaged a wild 21.1 yards per catch in 2024, hauling in 10 catches for 211 yards and two touchdowns.

Phillips didn’t come from nowhere. The kid balled at Sierra Canyon, shared the court with Bronny James, and has that multi-sport edge. He redshirted in 2023. But in 2024? He turned heads. Even BYU alum Neil Pau’u said, “Jojo can be special.” That praise didn’t come from a hype video—it came after watching him torch corners. Sitake doubled down on Jojo this off-season, hinting at a breakout. “He’s willing to do all the little things. I’m just looking forward to the things he can do with more reps.”

Now here’s the kicker, BYU needs Jojo more than ever. With uncertainty under center, they need a wideout who can bail out a rookie QB and stretch defenses thin. Phillips is tailor made for it. The guy can go deep, high-point balls, and bail out bad throws with that wingspan. And in a year when BYU’s identity is up in the air, Phillips could become their north star.