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PROVO — Harrison Taggart was pretty clear: There's no replacing Ben Bywater, the BYU linebacker and leading tackler who made it official Wednesday afternoon that his time in college football was done after a lingering shoulder injury.
But that doesn't mean the 6-foot-1, 235-pound middle linebacker won't do what he can to try. To that point, it may take a small army of Cougar backers to replace the production of Bywater, the former Olympus High rugby standout who would have entered the 2024 season as BYU's active career in tackles with 247.
"Everybody knows Ben Bywater; he was up for the Butkus Award (last year)," Taggart said. "Ben's a huge leader. He took us all boating, took us to his cabin; he's just a great guy and we're going to have to figure out what to do without him, but I love the guy."
That kind of leadership, in particular, is hard to replace, head coach Kalani Sitake added.
"Ben's been here a long time. We knew that this was a possibility. We were hopeful that he could get back and be ready for us to play. It's just too risky," Sitake said. "As much as I would love him to play for us this year and he would love to do that, it's not worth the risk. He's got a future in life and possibly in football, too. I'm just thankful for what he's done for us. He's just going to transition to a different role. ... He's a leader and a captain for us. We're going to need him a different way."
Taggart isn't the only linebacker that will move up the depth chart behind Bywater. Former Timpview star Siale Esera, the former four-star recruit who had 19 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception, could also see more minutes in the absence. So, too, could Aisea Moa — who has moved back to linebacker from defensive end — and his brother Sione, who transferred from Utah State following the 2022 season.
Weber State transfer Jack Kelly could also step into some new minutes, though his preference as a pass-rush specialist may keep the player nicknamed "Sack Kelly" by Wildcat fans on the outside.
Then there's Choé Bryant-Strother, the younger brother of former BYU men's basketball star Elijah Bryant who transferred to BYU after playing in 32 games over four years at UCLA. The former three-star recruit from the Atlanta area recorded 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery for the Bruins in 2023.
Truthfully, filling a gap left by a player like Benwater may take a little bit of everybody, as cliche as that sounds.
One area where Taggart feels he can step up into Bywater's shoes: leadership.
Bywater was a natural leader, a vocal screamer who wasn't afraid to light his hair on fire (figuratively, of course) that could cause teammates to want to run through a wall for him (more metaphors). Taggart doesn't have that personality, preferring to do his work quietly. So he wants to "push myself to become a leader," he admits.
That's not to say he hasn't been productive, though. The former Corner Canyon High star who transferred to BYU last year after redshirting his true freshman campaign at Oregon stepped right into the heart of the Cougars' defense, totaling 28 tackles and half a tackle for loss in 12 games, including four starts.
Not bad for a player who committed to transfer home to Provo in June and had less than two months to learn the playbook before enrolling at BYU in time for training camp.
It may seem needless to say, but Taggart feels like he's in a more comfortable place with a full offseason under his feet — to say nothing of a full season of Big 12 football.
"It's awesome having an offseason in the same program," he said. "My first season was with Oregon, right, so I was learning a system that wasn't the same as my second season with BYU. It really is awesome, to build off what we did last year. I'm really excited, and I feel like all the guys were hungry from last year.
"Switching to the Big 12 was a huge step for BYU, and I think it was the best move for BYU," he added. "But I felt like it was all coming really fast."
He's not the only one. The Cougars have another year installing Jay Hill's defense, as the second-year BYU defensive coordinator stabilizes his own foundation and scheme in Provo after a decade at Weber State.
The biggest change may not be in the playbook, though.
"Mentality is huge," Taggart said. "And then just speed, effort; but it's all mental. I feel like we're coming at it from a very different mentality than the year before."
