Predictions for BYU Football Newcomers in Fall Camp 2017: Offense

The BYU football team reports to fall camp next Wednesday. Fall camp is always an exciting time to see new faces on the practice fields of the Student Athlete Building. Who are the newcomers, and what can we expect from them in camp?

Ask, and you shall receive. Here's a breakdown of the offensive newcomers

The plan for Wilstead is to redshirt this season. The goal for Wilstead will be to learn the offense and be ready to compete for the starting role the moment Tanner Mangum leaves early or graduates after the 2018 season.

Highest potential out of the running back unit that has no clear-cut starter. Tolutau emerges out of fall camp as the number two back behind Squally Canada. BONUS: KJ Hall will be number three behind Tolutau.

Ty Detmer is the reason Buchanon is at BYU. BYU WR coach Ben Cahoon never evaluated the Texas speedster until he pledged to the Cougars. The Cougars are desperately seeking playmakers at the wideouts spot, but I don’t expect Buchanon to be a significant contributor. A redshirt would serve Buchanon nicely.

Hanshaw is talented enough to become BYU’s best tight end by season’s end. Tight ends coach Steve Clark wants is excited about the tight end unit he has returning, but he wants to see what he has in Hanshaw before making any decision on the pecking order. My expectation is that Hanshaw finds himself in BYU’s two-deep.

Could we see a switch to defensive line? Returned missionary who was weighing in around 255 pounds when he left for his mission after graduating from Bountiful High. Better athlete than people give him credit for, and a multi-sport athlete. 2017 feels like an opportunity to see Christensen on special teams.

Finau is only 17 years old. He’s a young pup who needs to continue learning the nuances of the game. Expect a redshirt and then he will head out on a mission in 2018.

I watched Kafentzis when he was a freshman in high school, and at that time, I thought he was going to be the greatest QB ever from the state of Utah. Statistically, he is that. But he never continued to get better his junior and senior seasons. He was who he was at that point. Now, after stops in college at Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona Western Junior College, does Kafentzis still believe he can perform at a high level at QB? To be determined. As a walk-on, and with no number two quarterback standing out, Detmer will let Kafentzis try out at QB. But I expect Kafentzis to switch to the defensive side of the ball and excel at safety. Detmer threw out the possibility of running back or wide receiver, but safety is Kafentzis’ best fit.

Walk-on quarterback. He’s another arm in a quarterback unit that doesn’t have much after Mangum. He’s headed for the scout team.

Returned home from his mission in June. Heaps was once a Weber State signee. He will be a preferred walk-on who will compete at tight end and will probably be a special teams player in 2017. Expect his high school teammate at American Fork, running back Zach Katoa to join the program once he returns home from his mission in August.

Empey just returned home from his LDS mission but he could still find himself as the primary backup at center to Tejan Koroma. I expect that to happen.

There's still an appeal that needs to take place on Hoge, but there are rumblings that he is expected to play in 2017, and what a huge boost that is for BYU. Hoge will compete for time on the second unit at guard.

In a short period of time the expectations for Vaka went from needing to be a starter to now make the two-deep. Now the goal for Vaka is to pack on weight. Weighing in at 275 pounds is not big enough for the way Mike Empey wants his linemen to compete. Can Vaka push JJ Nwigwe at left tackle is my question. I expect Vaka to find himself somewhere along the two-deep.

Bushman wowed everyone in spring football, can he carry this momentum into fall camp? I believe he will, and he will be Tanner Mangum’s top target this season.

Mitch Harper is the Publisher of Cougar Nation and is the Executive Producer for Cougar Sports on ESPN 960 (3-7pm). Follow him on Twitter/Snapchat/Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.