BYU football will have one of its leading running backs available for the matchup against the Baylor Bears.
Hinckley Ropati will be back this week.
The senior running back, nicknamed “Folau” by his teammates, is returning after being sidelined for the last two games due to an injury he sustained against SMU.
#BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said on his Coaches Show that Hinckley Ropati will be back this week at Baylor.
Ropati was seen in full pads today at practice.#BYUFootball
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 25, 2024
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said on his weekly coaches show (Tuesdays, 9 p.m. on KSL NewsRadio) that Ropati would be back in the lineup.
“Hinckley’s back. He’s rolling. And he’s playing,” said BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick on Wednesday.
Ropati was the opening week starter at running back for BYU against Southern Illinois. This season, he has rushed for 89 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.
BYU football is giving LJ Martin extra time to heal before the bye week
BYU will be without LJ Martin again this week. Head coach Kalani Sitake said they will give the sophomore extra rest heading into the upcoming bye week in an effort to get him back for the Arizona game on October 12.
“…I think if you ask LJ and the rest of the guys, whether you’re able to go isn’t really the question. It’s are you better than the guys that are at full strength,” asked Sitake earlier this week when discussing Martin’s status. “If you ask our running backs, they want to play. But we’ve got to make the best decision, and we can really take advantage of extra time and healing for him. That’s what we’re going to do with him.”
Martin suffered an ankle injury in the win over SMU on September 6.
Sione I. Moa banged up?
BYU running back Sione I. Moa had 76 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown in the win over Kansas State.
A BYU student reporter from The Daily Universe reported on X that Moa was seen on BYU’s campus wearing a boot.
Roderick was asked about that on Wednesday, and he acknowledged that Sione “got banged up a little bit in the [Kansas State] game.”
The seventh-year BYU coordinator added that they will “make a decision” on Moa’s availability for the Baylor game on Thursday.
If Moa cannot play in Waco, BYU’s running back options will be Ropati, Enoch Nawahine, Miles Davis, and Pokaiaua Haunga.
Right Guard position
An underrated piece to BYU’s win over Kansas State was the play of Bruce Mitchell at right guard. The third-string lineman stepped in for injured Sonny Makasini and Austin Leausa and had a strong showing in his first career start.
Regardless of who starts at right guard this week at Baylor, BYU feels good about its options. On a positive note, Kalani Sitake spoke to members of the Cougar Club during a Luncheon on Wednesday and gave an encouraging update on Makasini and Leausa.
“The other two guards are back now. We’re close to full strength on the offensive line,” Sitake said during a Cougar Club Luncheon on Wednesday.
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