BYU Roundup: Rex, Pay named to preseason watch lists

Aug 4, 2023
NEW YORK — For the third straight year, BYU tight end Isaac Rex has been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding tight end.
A native of San Clemente, California, Rex was also recently named to the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team. The 6-6, 255-pound junior has played in 40 games for the Cougars over the past four seasons and is currently tied for No. 2 all-time with former Consensus All-American Dennis Pitta at BYU in career touchdown receptions by a tight end with 21.
In addition to being on the Mackey Award Watch List for the previous two seasons, Rex was also named Phil Steele All-Independent First Team in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and was also selected to the College Football Network All-Independent Second Team in 2022.
In 2020, Rex was ranked No. 1 in the nation among freshman tight ends in receptions with 37, receiving yards with 429 and receiving touchdowns with 12. He also ranked No. 3 nationally in receiving touchdowns among all positions and was named Freshman All-American by The Athletic and Phil Steele.
Rex is the son of former BYU tight end Byron Rex. The senior Rex totaled 87 receptions, 1,209 yards and seven touchdowns in his career for the Cougars. He earned All-America honors as a senior in 1992 after posting 45 catches, 612 yards and five scores. The recipient of the annual Mackey Award is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee comprised of sportswriters and former players.
As part of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football, the Mackey Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN in December.
Dedicated to the life of hall-of-fame tight end, John Mackey, the award seeks to recognize true passion, dedication and at the same time raise health awareness for the game of football in schools, especially in colleges and among the youth.
Mackey was one of the great leaders in NFL history, on and off the field. He played in the NFL for 10 years and was elected to the Pro Bowl five times. Mackey also played in two Super Bowls, including the Baltimore Colts win in Super Bowl V. Later as the head of the NFL Players Association, where he was a courageous advocate for the NFL players, helping to expand free agency rights, increase pension benefits and improve injury protection programs.
NEW YORK — BYU center Connor Pay was named Friday to the 2023 Rimington Trophy preseason watchlist. The prestigious trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football.
The Rimington Trophy committee worked closely with Pro Football Focus to narrow down its preseason watch list to the top 40 centers in Division I football, based on nominations from the schools and extensive data from previous seasons provide by PFF.
Pay, from Highland, Utah, was recently named to the 2023 PFF Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team and the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team. The 6-5, 305-pound sophomore started 12 of 13 games for the Cougars in 2022, was a candidate for the Rimington Trophy and was named College Network All-Independent First Team.
As a Covid freshman in 2021, Pay earned a starting role at right guard for the Cougars, before taking over the center position the final five games of the season for injured starter James Empey. At the conclusion of the 2021 season, the BYU offensive line was named Pro Football Network Offensive Line of the Year, allowing just 15 total sacks all year. Pay has played in 25 of 26 games with 23 starts over the past two seasons.
Pay holds a 3.78 GPA in entrepreneurial management and was named CSC Academic All-District in November 2022.
The Rimington Trophy is named after Dave Rimington, a two-time Consensus All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982. As a junior and senior, Rimington became the only two-time winner of the John Outland Trophy, presented annually to college football’s top interior lineman.
At the conclusion of the 2023 season, the Rimington Trophy committee will use three prestigious All-America teams to determine a winner–Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America. The center with the most first-team All-America votes will be awarded the Trophy.
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes many of college football’s most prestigious awards. The recipient of the 2023 Rimington Trophy will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN in December.