4-Star RB McKay Madsen on Punishing Defenders, Faith, Family, Football & Road to Becoming a Cougar

In this Y’s Guys interview, four-star running back McKay Madsen joins Dave McCann and Blaine Fowler live from his home in Clovis, California to talk faith, football, family, and his future at BYU. Madsen, a standout athlete in both football and track, is preparing to serve a two-year mission to Argentina before joining the Cougars in 2027. He shares how his spiritual promptings at the All-American Bowl helped him choose BYU over national powers and explains why faith has always been the foundation of his athletic and personal success. Madsen reflects on what it's like to be a Nike All-American in discus and shot put, and how competing in multiple sports has helped him stay balanced and avoid burnout. He’s hoping to also contribute to BYU’s nationally ranked track program when he returns. On the football side, he opens up about playing both running back and linebacker, and how BYU coaches have given him the flexibility to evolve based on team needs—though his heart is set on carrying the ball and making an impact in Aaron Roderick’s offense. McKay also discusses his personal connection to BYU—his mom is a BYU alum, his dad played football at Stanford, and his sister is currently on BYU’s track team. With humility and humor, he describes telling Kalani Sitake and Harvey Unga about his commitment, how number 5 (his childhood idol Christian McCaffrey’s number) might be his jersey of choice, and his hopes for a future BYU “triple threat” of himself, Brock Harris, and Ryder Lyons. The interview wraps with his love of Panda Express, Justin Bieber, and a heartfelt tribute to his mom—a former Miss California and Broadway performer. #BYUFootball #GoCougs #McKayMadsen #YSGUYS #Big12Football #CollegeRecruiting #FaithAndFootball #ArgentinaMission #BYUSports #BYUTrack #MissionReady #CougarNation #ChristianMcCaffrey