BYU football: Tanner Wall set for explosive Red Raiders’ attack

In a clash of Big 12 titans, where both No. 8 BYU and No. 9 Texas Tech brandish a slew of positives, it’s the negatives that will likely decide Saturday’s outcome — penalties, miscues and especially turnovers.

Creating turnovers is something the Cougars are really good at. During BYU’s 19-2 run over the last 21 games, including their 8-0 start this season, the Cougars are +18 in turnover margin, and of their nation-leading 34 interceptions, senior safety Tanner Wall has five of them.

“It’s just be ball hawks. Go get the ball. The ball is everything in football,” Wall told the “BYU Sports Nation GameDay” pregame show. “Sometimes people, I feel like defensively, might miss that. They get focused on other things. The game is all about the ball. So, if you can find ways to take away the ball, whether it’s in forcing fumbles or going in and making interceptions or tipped balls, strip sacks — all that kind of stuff. We’ve gotta find ways to get the ball in our hands as a defense and when we do, a lot of good things happen.”

So far in 2025, BYU leads the Big 12 with the fewest turnovers (6) while forcing 16. In their last two games, against Utah and Iowa State, the Cougars are +6 in turnover margin. Facing the league’s top offense in Lubbock only intensifies BYU’s need to force the Red Raiders into making mistakes.

“It’s something we focus on. We look at the stats and we know, under Coach Kalani, even if we’re +1 in the turnover margin, the likelihood to win is extremely high,” Wall said. “So, we’re always shooting to be at least +1. Coach (Jay) Hill talks about it all the time — ‘If we turn the ball over three times then we better get four as a defense.’ Whatever it is, get one more.”

Wall of honors

Wall enters November as a member of the 2025 All-State AFCA Good Works Team and a finalist for the Danny Wuerffel Trophy, a semifinalist for the Jason Whitten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and for the William V. Campbell Trophy, and he is a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy.

Each award is individually distinctive, but they share common requirements including community service, sportsmanship, leadership and academic success — all areas where Wall, a first-year MBA student, stands firm.

“It means the world (to me). It means a lot because for all of us, at one point or another, football will come to an end,” Wall said. “But, just having the mindset of being grateful for the platform that I’ve been given as a student-athlete, especially as a football player here at BYU, we have such an amazing platform to do outreach within the community, with the youth, and impact the lives of the amazing fans and even people who might not be fans yet.”

Delayed debut

Wall joined the Cougars as a walk-on receiver from Arlington, Virginia, in 2021 after his church mission to Maceio, Brazil. The moment he had waited his whole life for was about to happen late in his freshman season against Idaho State — until a teammate got in the way.

Keanu Hill, another receiver, blocked the Bengals punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to give BYU a 59-14 lead with 4:18 to play.

“I was set to go in on the next possession,” Wall said.

He never made it in — and never caught a pass at receiver. However, after switching to safety when Hill arrived as defensive coordinator in 2023, Wall has since made five receptions — all interceptions — and this season, the senior captain and leader of the defense was put on full scholarship.

“It’s kind of the quarterback-of-the-defense mentality, like just being back there, seeing the whole picture, seeing everything, helping to get guys lined up, helping to see what the quarterback sees and try to manipulate what he’s thinking before ... the snap,” Wall said. “It’s also fun being the guy back there (where) you don’t get accounted for in the blocking scheme. So, when I’m coming up to make a play, I’m kind of a free hitter.”

On Saturday (10 a.m. MST, ABC), Wall will contend against the Red Raiders ‘Air Raid’ offense in the same Jones AT&T Stadium where Keanu’s dad, Lloyd Hill, earned All-America and Hall of Fame status at receiver for Texas Tech.

Fortunately for both, Wall won’t be defending against Hill in his prime and at age 53, Hill won’t be getting hit by Wall.

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