UPDATE: Eight Cougars receive NFL opportunities

PROVO, Utah — Three BYU players were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft—offensive lineman Blake Freeland, quarterback Jaren Hall and receiver Puka Nacua—and five other former Cougars received NFL opportunities after the draft as undrafted free agents.

Freeland, an All-American left tackle, was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts 106th overall in the fourth round, while both star signal caller Hall and talented wideout Nacua were taken in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings (164th overall) and the Los Angeles Rams (177th overall), respectively, in the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City, Missouri.

Immediately following the draft, running back Chris Brooks signed with the Miami Dolphins, and offensive lineman Harris LaChance reached an agreement with the Colts, joining Freeland, his fellow offensive lineman, in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, two cornerbacks reached deals, with Kaleb Hayes inking an agreement with the Jacksonville Jaguars and D’Angelo Mandell heading to Dallas with the Cowboys. Former linebacker Payton Wilgar was invited to minicamp with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I’m excited for our guys,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said. “They have all been a big part of our program and will always be Cougars. It has been an honor to coach them, and I look forward to following their careers in the NFL.”

With three players drafted in 2023, BYU has now had 15 drafts with three or more players selected, with the last time being the 2021 Draft when five Cougars were selected, including No. 2 overall pick quarterback Zach Wilson. Overall, BYU has had 36 drafts with multiple selections, including 27 drafts with multiple picks in the first seven rounds.

This year’s NFL Draft also marks the first time since 2002 that BYU has had three players chosen in the first five rounds. In 2002, tight end Doug Jolley (Raiders, second round), defensive lineman Ryan Denney (Bills, second round) and quarterback Brandon Doman (49ers, fifth round) were the first three of five draft picks that year from BYU’s 12-2 team in 2021.

Overall, the Cougars have been represented in 51 of the last 56 drafts and in 68 of the 88 drafts conducted. NFL teams have now drafted a former BYU player 152 times since the first Cougar drafted in 1938 (John Stringham, Back, ninth round).

With Brooks, LaChance, Hayes, Mandell and Wilgar receiving free agent opportunities following the draft, BYU now boasts another 210 former players who have received NFL opportunities as undrafted free agents.

Bio information and quotes about the BYU players receiving free-agent agreements after the 2023 NFL Draft are included below.

Chris Brooks | RB | Miami Dolphins
Brooks, a 6-foot, 232-pound running back, spent one year at BYU as a graduate transfer from Cal. He appeared in 11 games for the Cougars, including eight starts. The Oceanside, California product, finished No. 4 all-time at BYU in single-season yards per carry (6.28) with 130 touches for 817 yards and six touchdowns.

Brooks was named to Phil Steele All-Independent First Team and College Football Network All-Independent Second Team, adding 10 receptions for 98 yards, giving him 915 all-purpose yards for the 2022 season. He put together his best game at BYU against the Stanford Cardinal, a familiar foe from his time at Cal, with a career-best 23 carries for 164 yards in the Cougars' 35-26 win.

While at Cal, Brooks played in 40 games from 2018 to 2021 and totaled 1,734 yards rushing with 14 touchdowns on the ground while adding 50 catches for 345 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a receiver. He led the Golden Bears in rushing two of his three playing seasons.

Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick on Chris Brooks
“Chris has great speed for a guy his size. He definitely has an NFL body and has the durability to be able to last in the league. It’s a really physical league, and the running backs take a lot of shots. He can take that.”

Running backs coach Harvey Unga on Chris Brooks
“Chris is definitely a professional. He’s a super-fast learner. He came in right away and understood at least 80% of the playbook within the first couple of weeks. To me, that’s huge, because NFL franchises have huge playbooks that he’ll be able to pick up quickly. He’s very smart, a good teammate, good leader and has a great understanding of the game of football. Physically, he looks the part, but he has performed it well too. He also brings a lot of energy to the room and has great hands.”

Kaleb Hayes | CB | Jacksonville Jaguars
Hayes, a 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback, played defensive back from 2021-22 and appeared in 24 games with 20 starts. He registered 67 total tackles (47 solo) along with 19 pass breakups and was a Phil Steele All-Independent First Team Defense selection in 2021 along with being named the Pro Football Network's Independent Defensive Back of the Year, All-Independent First Team Defense, and part of the All-Independent Defensive Secondary of the Year.

In 2022, he played in 12 games (starting 10) while recording 41 tackles (26 solo) with seven pass breakups. In 2021, he led BYU in pass breakups with 12. His three pass breakups against Utah State was the first three-pass breakup game for a BYU player since 2017.

His 19 career pass breakups surpassed current Los Angeles Charger Michael Davis for No. 5 at BYU in career pass breakups since 2000.

Head coach Kalani Sitake on Kaleb Hayes
“Kaleb is super-fast and explosive. In the game of football, he is big and tall, so as a corner, he brings a lot to the table. His athleticism is amazing, and he has great charisma and leadership. The people really love Kaleb.”

Cornerback coach Jernaro Gilford on Kaleb Hayes
“He’s a great leader, and he’s the type of guy who will come in and just work. He isn’t satisfied with anything but being the best, whether that’s on the field or off the field. He’s super competitive, and he’ll bring some speed and length. Whatever team picks him up is going to be very happy with him.”

Harris LaChance | OL | Indianapolis Colts
LaChance, a 6-foot-7, 305-pound tackle and guard, appeared in 45 games for the Cougars with 17 career starts from 2018 to 2022. Starting 12 games in 2022, LaChance helped the BYU offense tie for 10th nationally in sacks allowed (13) and rank 36th in the country in yards per game (426.0).

LaChance started four games in 2021 due to injury but played in 11 during the 2020 season. In 2020, LaChance helped the BYU offensive line rank No. 8 in the nation for the fewest sacks allowed (12 sacks in 12 games) while only allowing two pressures on 293 pass-blocking regular-season snaps. LaChance contributed to the BYU offense ranking No. 4 in scoring (43.5), No. 7 in total offense (522.2), and No. 8 passing offense (322.1), while also adding 190.1 rushing yards per game.

Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick on Harris LaChance
“I think Harris brings versatility to an NFL team. He’s an interesting player because he started games for us at guard and tackle. That versatility is his biggest strength because he will be able to move around a lot.”

Offensive line coach Darrell Funk on Harris LaChance
“Harris has done a lot for BYU. His versatility will help him succeed at the next level. They don’t suit (up) many guys in the NFL, so players have to be able to cross-train, which is what Harris is capable of. He is a tough guy who’s got a lot of spirit. He also has a lot of confidence in himself. I know he will have a real chance to make an impression once he gets to camp.”

D'Angelo Mandell | CB | Dallas Cowboys
Mandell, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound cornerback, appeared in 53 games, including 24 starts from 2017 to 2022. He posted 79 total tackles (48 solo). In 2022, Mandell tallied 18 tackles (six solo), a 0.5 tackle-for-loss and a pass breakup. He registered a career-high six tackles against No. 24/25 Oregon.

Mandell started all 13 games in 2021, becoming one of only three defensive players and six players overall to do so. His 2021 campaign included 36 tackles (25 solo, one for loss) and four pass breakups during BYU's 10-3 finish and No. 19 final AP ranking.

Mandell played in eight games in 2020 with one start and in 2019, he had 21 total tackles, including 17 solo stops. He also added two tackles for loss. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Mandell appeared in all 13 games with four starts at corner.

Head coach Kalani Sitake on Mandell
“He has overcome quite a bit of adversity and has been someone who we can always count on. He has gratitude for every day that he lives and gets to play football, and that carries over into the way he conducts himself on and off the field. He is very athletic and has a lot of speed. He is a tough player, always ready to tackle and strike.”

Cornerback coach Jernaro Gilford on D’Angelo Mandell
“He is a player who is going to work hard every single day. He’s got the length, speed and is not satisfied with being mediocre. He will put in the work to be his best.  Any program would be lucky to have him.

Payton Wilgar | LB | Kansas City Chiefs
Wilgar, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker, was as a four-year starter from 2018-22 appearing in 45 games with 40 starts. The St. George, Utah, native tallied 198 total tackles (103 solo) along with 5 interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 16.5 tackles for loss.

Wilgar started his career being named to the Pro Football Focus All-Freshman team in 2019 and went on to such honors as the Pro Football Network Independent Linebacker of the Year and All-Independent First Team Defense (2021), Phil Steele All-Independent Second Team Defense (2021), Bronco Nagurski Trophy watchlist (2021) and Butkus Award watchlist (2021).

Last season, Wilgar played in and started seven games before an injury, recording 30 tackles (nine solo) and a pass breakup. In 2021, he played in and started 10 games before a season-ending injury. He finished as BYU's third-leading tackler with 56 (29 solo, six for loss), 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries, two interceptions and a forced fumble. He also had six games with five or more tackles and a career-high 11 tackles in BYU's 66-49 win over Virginia.

Wilgar was named a Second Team All-Independent honoree in 2020, registering 57 tackles (third on the team) with five tackles for loss while adding a team-best five QB hurries, four pass breakups and a forced fumble. He helped BYU's defense rank No. 4 in scoring defense (15.3) and No. 12 in total defense during BYU's 11-1 season and No. 11 national finish.

In 2019, he started 12 of 13 games, leading the team with three interceptions (tied for No. 2 nationally). He had at least five tackles in five games while being named player of the game twice (vs. No. 24 USC and at Utah State).

Head coach Kalani Sitake on Payton Wilgar
“Payton Wilgar had a lot of great plays. He is a converted safety to linebacker. He has great instincts in the game of football so we played him at all three different positions at linebacker. He is versatile. He can also play on the line of scrimmage as a defensive end. In the NFL, I would project him as an outside linebacker, but he also has experience at inside linebacker. I think he has a good chance of possibly making it on a team because he has so much flexibility and can do a lot of different things.”