Ben Bywater - Football | byucougars.com

Ben Bywater

Linebacker 2

Ht/Wt

235 lbs.

Class

Junior

Hometown

Salt Lake City,

Utah

Last School

Olympus High School

Roster Years

2019-2023

2023
- Named to Pro Football Focus and Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team
- Named to Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team
- Named to Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list
2022
- Finishes season as BYU's active career tackles leader (215)
- Named to Phil Steele All-Independent Second Team
- Led BYU in tackles with 98 (31 solo), becoming first to lead the Cougars in tackles in back-to-back seasons since current San Francisco 49er Fred Warner (2016-17)
- Made first-career pick-six, in game-changing play as BYU beat SMU 24-23 in New Mexico Bowl.
- Named New Mexico Bowl Defensive MVP
- Recorded his fourth-career double-digit tackle outing with 11 stops, including a sack, in BYU's 26-20 (2OT) win over No. 9 Baylor on Sept. 10.
- Named one of 42 candidates for the 2022 Lott IMPACT Trophy awarded annually to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year
- Butkus award watchlist for award honoring nation's top linebacker

Major: Finance
Missionary Service: Served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guatemala City, Guatemala
Fluent in Spanish
Parents are Stephanie and David
Has three sisters and one brother
An Eagle Scout
Loves to dirtbike and flyfish

Prepped at Olympus High School
Selected to the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News 4A All-State First Team as a senior
Region 6 MVP in 2016
Played both ways in high school as a linebacker and running back
Led the team in rushing and second in total tackles
Totaled 95 tackles as a senior with 10.0 tackles for loss
Rushed for 766 yards and nine touchdowns in 2016
Helped Olympus to region championships in 2015 and 2016
Also played Rugby at Olympus HS
Coached by Aaron Whitehead
Also recruited by Stanford, Washington, Utah, Arizona State and Washington State.

BYU Hall of Fame

Freshman Year 2021

Named Independent Defensive Rookie of the Year by Pro Football Network.
Selected to All-Independent First Team Defense by Pro Football Network.
Earned 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 First Team honors
One of 26 on the team to play in all 13 games
One of three defensive players and six players overall to start in all 13 games, starting all 13 games at multiple linebacker positions.
Led BYU in tackles with 102 (57 solo, 45 assist).
Led BYU in tackles-for-loss with 8.5 for -16 yards.
Posted three games with 10 or more tackles and 10 games with five or more.
Notched nine tackles (seven solo, two assist), three tackles for loss and one sack in 34-20 win at Utah State.
Posted a career-high 14 tackles (six solo, eight assist) versus Boise State.
Credited with 13 tackles (four solo) and 0.5 tackle-for-loss in 35-31 win over USC in the LA Coliseum.

Sophmore Year 2022

Played in all 13 games, started seven
Finishes season as BYU's active career tackles leader (215)
Named to Phil Steele All-Independent Second Team
Butkus award watchlist for award honoring nation's top linebacker
Led BYU in tackles with 98 (31 solo), becoming first to lead the Cougars in tackles in back-to-back seasons since current San Francisco 49er Fred Warner (2016-17)
Recorded four tackles-for-loss, one sack, thee interceptions and two pass break-ups
Three games with season-best 11 tackles (Baylor, East Carolina, SMU), giving him six double-digit tackles games in his career.
Made first-career pick-six, in game-changing play as BYU beat SMU 24-23 in New Mexico Bowl.
Named New Mexico Bowl Defensive MVP
Notched first-career interception in loss at No. 25 Oregon on Sept. 17
Recorded second-career interception in 38-26 win over Utah State on Sept. 29.
Recorded his fourth-career double-digit tackle outing with 11 stops, including a sack, in BYU's 26-20 (2OT) win over No. 9 Baylor on Sept. 10.
Named Lott Impact Trophy Week 2 Player of the Week after win over No. 9 Baylor
Named one of 42 candidates for the 2022 Lott IMPACT Trophy awarded annually to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year
Named to Butkus Award watch list
Awarded CSC Academic All-District honors