2022 Fall Camp: Gallery and NFL preseason glance

PROVO, Utah — BYU football completed its seventh practice of fall camp on Friday as former Cougars begin to take the field in NFL preseason games.

View images from Thursday’s practice in the gallery above or by clicking on the following link: Fall Camp BYU Photo Exposure Gallery.

Former Cougars in the NFL Preseason

The Cougars are currently represented by 22 former players in the NFL, 11 on offense and 11 on defense. Half of the 32 NFL rosters have at least one former BYU player with multiple former Cougars on five rosters.

Running back Tyler Allgeier became BYU’s 148th NFL Draft pick when he was selected with the eighth pick of the fifth round and 151st overall in the 2022 NFL Draft on April 30.

A 5-foot-11, 224-pound All-American from Fontana, California, Allgeier is the fifth-highest drafted running back in BYU football history and the 18th Cougar ball carrier overall to be drafted.

The Falcons’ rookie will make his NFL debut in Atlanta’s 2022 preseason opener at Detroit on Friday at 6 p.m. EDT on the NFL Network.

Allgeier’s workman-like endurance and rugged physicality carrying the ball helped secure BYU wins moving the chains on the ground late in games, while his decisive running and strong bursts of speed always made Allgeier a threat to break off long runs.

In his final season at BYU in 2021, Allgeier ranked among the top 10 nationally in 14 different statistical categories. Among them, he led the nation in rushing touchdowns (23) and ranked No. 2 in total touchdowns, No. 3 in scoring (10.6), No. 4 in rushing yards (1,601) and No. 5 in rushing yards per game (123.2).

Allgeier departed BYU having broken Luke Staley’s 20-year-old single-season rushing record by becoming the first BYU player to surpass 1,600 yards in a season, passing Staley’s 1,582 rushing yards that powered the 2001 star to the program’s only Doak Walker Award. Allgeier also stands at No. 2 all-time for the Cougars in rushing touchdowns (36), No. 3 in 100-yards games (13), No. 4 in total touchdowns (37), No. 5 in rushing yards (2,899), No. 10 in rushing attempts (452) and No. 12 in all-purpose yards (3,433).

"The Falcons are getting a fantastic football player and an incredibly humble and hardworking teammate with the physical versatility and football IQ to contribute in many different ways," said BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake in April. "I am excited for Tyler. I look forward to following his NFL career." 

The Falcons-Lions matchup will also feature BYU’s all-time leading rusher in Detroit running back Jamaal Williams. Through five seasons in the league, Williams has totaled 653 carries for 2,586 yards and 13 touchdowns in 73 games played. After four seasons with Green Bay, Williams enjoyed his best professional season yet with the Lions in 2021 as he recorded team-high 153 carries for 601 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games.

James Empey, Samson Nacua and Neil Pau’u signed free agent contracts following April’s draft and will see their first professional action in preseason games on Saturday as they battle for a spot on their respective rosters.

Empey, a 6-3, 297-pound native of American Fork, Utah, signed with the Dallas Cowboys on April 30. Empey’s father, Mike, also signed with the Cowboys in 1994 as a rookie free agent offensive lineman coming out of BYU. A four-year starter at center for the Cougars, the younger Empey was named a 2018 FWAA Freshman All-American and earned recognition from Pro Football Focus as the No. 1 freshman center in the country. Empey went on to become a three-time Rimington Trophy candidate for the best center in the nation and a two-time Outland Trophy watch list honoree for the country’s top interior lineman.

“James knows what the running backs, tight ends, receivers and quarterbacks are thinking,” Sitake said. “We were lucky to have him as center a majority of the time here, but he can play left and right guard and left and right tackle too. There’s not a lot of offensive linemen who can do that.”

Nacua, a 6-3, 206-pound receiver from Provo, Utah, signed with the Indianapolis Colts out of BYU. During his lone season at BYU, Nacua recorded 21 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 15.7 yards per grab. He hauled-in a collegiate career-high 107 yards on just three receptions, averaging 35.7 yards per catch in the Cougars’ 66-49 win over Virginia last season.

“In one year, Samson left a huge impression that’s going to stick with us for a long time,” said BYU passing game coordinator Fesi Sitake in April. “He’s someone who I think is going to fit on an NFL roster. He’s going to do a good job.”

Pau’u, a 6-4, 215-pound receiver from Santa Ana, California, inked a free agent agreement with the Buffalo Bills. During his BYU career, Pau’u totaled 123 grabs for 1,484 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 2020, Pau’u recorded a career-high 603 yards on 45 catches with four touchdowns in his first season as a full-time starter. Despite missing the last three games of 2021 due to injury, Pau’u led BYU in receptions on the season with 46 for 526 yards and six touchdowns.  

“Neil has gone through a lot of different things and he’s faced some adversity and did it with a great attitude,” Kalani Sitake said. “To have an obstacle in your way and overcome it, then to go on and help and serve others, I’m really proud of him.”