Special Teams Player of the Year: #24 Ryan Rehkow
This pick should surprise nobody—Rehkow was among the most impactful and consistent punters in the nation this year, and has the potential for a very bright NFL future ahead of him. The only difference between his performance this year and those of years past is that, really for the first time in his BYU career, he actually carried enough of a workload for his statistics to have a meaningful sample size. That says some bad things about the BYU offense, obviously, but hey, at least the Cougars' star punter finally got a chance to shine. Of all the top performers on this BYU team, Rehkow probably had the most impressive individual accolades. He's the active FBS career leader in yards per punt at 47.5, was honored on the Ray Guy Award Ray's Eight list three times this season, and was named Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week in week 1 of the season. He was also named 2nd-team All-Big 12 at the conclusion of the season. He will be missed next year.
Defensive Player of the Year: #5 Eddie Heckard
Eddie Heckard didn't have to play at BYU in 2023. He could have declared for the draft following his outstanding 2022 campaign at Weber State—he would have had a decent shot at being a late-round pick and would certainly have been a sought-after UDFA if not. Instead, he chose to shelve his pro ambitions for one more year and enter the transfer portal, following his former head coach, Jay Hill, to BYU. Heckard wasn't just good in 2023—he was a superstar. He made big play after big play and was regularly the most impactful defender on the field. His best performance came on Homecoming night against Texas Tech, when he picked off a pass and recovered a fumble for a score in a Cougar victory for which he was, in large part, responsible. For the season, he recorded 5 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, 47 total tackles, a sack, and the aforementioned fumble recovery touchdown. It's a crying shame that he doesn't have any more eligibility, but what he does have is a brilliant future ahead in the NFL.
Honorable Mention: #92 Tyler Batty
It's incredibly refreshing to be able to honor a defensive lineman in one of these postseason awards articles. The last time I did so was all the way back in 2019, when Khyiris Tonga's brilliant junior year performance earned him an honorable mention in my rankings. Since then, the D-line has had precious little to be excited about. But I've been high on Tyler Batty for a while now—he's shown flashes for years which have suggested that if he could stay healthy, he would become a star. This year, he finally took that leap. He had 54 total tackles, 8.5 TFL's (including 5.5 sacks), and two forced fumbles (not to mention a magnificent catch and run on a fake punt) on his way to earning 2nd-team All-Big 12 honors. He was also named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team in recognition of his outstanding community service—he used NIL money to found a nonprofit charity called Edward's Hands, providing equestrian experiences for children with special needs. And happily, he's already announced his intention to return to BYU next year. A defensive line still struggling with depth will benefit enormously from his talent and leadership.
Offensive Player of the Year: #2 Chase Roberts
In a season where the Cougars produced one of their worst offensive performances of the modern era, Chase Roberts was a rare bright spot. After an explosive freshman season in 2022 where he posted one of the greatest individual receiving performances in recent BYU history against Baylor, Roberts cemented himself as the Cougars' best receiver in 2023. He led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns, but more importantly, he flat-out made the team better whenever he was on the field. If the offense can figure its issues out in 2024, we may be staring down the barrel of a historic season for Chase Roberts.
Honorable Mention: #27 LJ Martin
LJ Martin was BYU running backs coach Harvey Unga's top 2023 recruiting target, and after watching him play as a freshman, it's not difficult to see why. A long, powerful back in the physical mold of Jamaal Williams, Martin was the team's leading rusher for the season despite missing multiple games due to injury. A poorly-coached offensive line limited his effectiveness at times, but he contributed more than I think anyone expected him to as a freshman. With Aidan Robbins and Deion Smith graduating, Martin will go from being the first among equals to being THE lead back for the Cougars in 2024, and a change in O-line coaches should bode well for his performance next year.
Surprise of the Year: #32 Marcus McKenzie
Marcus McKenzie is one of a pair of track star twin brothers who signed with BYU out of high school for the 2023 season—he and his brother, Dominique, are the sons of legendary Cougar running back Brian McKenzie. Early on in the season, Marcus established himself (somewhat out of nowhere) as the primary gunner for BYU's punt coverage team—the guy who initially targets and tries to tackle the punt returner. He proved preternaturally well-suited to the gunner position, and delivered a series of thunderous hits on punt returners that electrified the crowd and limited opponents' effectiveness in the return game. The only shame is that McKenzie spent much of the season injured—it's a mark of his ability and impact that with any other gunner, the punt coverage unit was disastrously ineffective. I look forward to seeing what a healthy Marcus McKenzie can do going forward. His raw athleticism and nose for the ball should make him a very interesting prospect in the secondary.
Inspirational Story of the Year: #12 Jake Retzlaff
If all had gone well this season, perhaps Jake Retzlaff never would have seen the field for the Cougars outside of mop-up duties. But as it was, he ended up starting the last four games of the season. And while BYU lost all four, a gauntlet which included games against very good Oklahoma and Oklahoma State teams, Retzlaff provided athleticism that had been missing from the QB position and did enough to make him a likely candidate to start in 2024. Retzlaff, though, isn't really unique for his on-the-field play so much as for who he is off the field—remarkably, he is the first Jewish quarterback to start at BYU, and possibly the first Jewish player of any position to get major playing time for the Cougars. That's a remarkable position, and Retzlaff has embraced, and even seems to enjoy, his trailblazing role. During the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, the team brought in a kosher food truck and gave Retzlaff the opportunity to teach his teammates about his faith. And Retzlaff has spoken publicly at length about his experience as a Jew at BYU, which has reflected well both on him and the University. He's an amazing guy and has added a great deal to the team simply by being who he is.