BYU concluded the season with a convincing victory against Colorado, elevating their record to 11-2 and setting themselves up for a top-15 placement in the final AP poll. Relative to preseason predictions, BYU emerged as one of the most compelling narratives in the sport. The Cougars transitioned from being expected to win 4-5 games to being just a few plays short of an unbeaten season.
Today, we are distributing postseason honors for the 2024 BYU football season.
Offensive Freshman of the Year: Jojo Phillips
Jojo Phillips stands out as one of the most athletically talented players in the program, with his skills beginning to emerge in 2024. Phillips completed his redshirt freshman season with 211 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Phillips could become a future standout at BYU.
Defensive Freshman of the Year: Tommy Prassas
True freshman Tommy Prassas participated in all 13 games for the BYU defense, accumulating a total of 188 snaps. Prassas executed two pivotal plays in 2024, with his fumble recovery and touchdown against Kansas State being the most crucial. He additionally recorded an interception versus Oklahoma State that led to a BYU touchdown. It’s not simple to take the field as a true freshman, but that’s precisely what Prassas accomplished.
Trainer of the Year: Jay Hill
In just two years as the defensive coordinator, Jay Hill has made astonishing improvements to the BYU defense. Hill took over one of the least effective defenses nationally, featuring lackluster talent. Within two years, he transformed BYU into one of the top defenses in the conference. BYU placed second in defensive efficiency within the Big 12 according to SP+.
Play Of The Year: Darius Lassiter
In a year when five performances were potential candidates for play of the year, Darius Lassiter’s decisive move against Oklahoma State is chosen. A 35-yard throw from Jake Retzlaff to Darius Lassiter put BYU ahead 38-35 with 11 seconds left. That touchdown preserved BYU’s perfect season.
Most Enhanced Player: Caleb Etienne
Caleb Etienne was sidelined as BYU’s right tackle in 2023. At times, Etienne appeared bewildered during his inaugural season in Provo. In 2024, Etienne played in every game as BYU’s left tackle and he was a different player from the 2023 version of Caleb Etienne. Etienne received First-Team All Big 12 honors. He was among the top narratives of BYU’s 2024 season.
Special Teams Player of the Year: Will Ferrin
Several individuals were in the running for this award, yet none were more worthy than BYU kicker Will Ferrin. Ferrin excelled for BYU in 2024, converting 24 of 27 field goals, including the decisive one against arch-rival Utah.
Defensive Player Award: Isaiah Glasker
BYU sophomore linebacker Isaiah Glasker earned our defensive MVP title for the 2024 season. Glasker was excellent from beginning to end. In a defense that excelled, no one performed better than Isaiah Glasker. Glasker concluded the 2024 season with a team-leading 70 tackles, consisting of 15 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 4 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble.
He experienced the finest season by a BYU linebacker since at least Sione Takitaki in 2018, and arguably the best since Kyle Van Noy donned a BYU uniform.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jake Retzlaff
Jake Retzlaff is our most valuable player on offense for the 2024 season. Retzlaff faltered at times, yet he led BYU’s offense during September and October while the team coped with several running back injuries. For over half the season, Retzlaff topped BYU in rushing. His performance in October was the standout moment of his 2024 season.
He wasn’t flawless, and there’s still space for growth, but no one contributed more to the BYU offense in 2024. Retzlaff did not perform sufficiently to secure victory in four matches in 2024: SMU, Kansas, Arizona State, and Colorado. In those four matches, BYU ended up 2-2. In the matches where Retzlaff performed effectively, BYU achieved a record of 9-0. No individual was as essential to BYU’s achievements as Retzlaff.
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