BYU Cougars Football: Five Freshmen Who Will Make an Impact in 2011

BYU is unlike any other program in the country in a lot of ways, not the least of which is the juggling act related to the missionary program and its affect on the depth chart. 

But this season is especially interesting, as a small recruiting class in 2011 has left the door open for a ton of returning missionaries and redshirt freshman to make big contributions in the fall.

So who will get on the field? Who will make headlines? Who will catch a bunch of passes from Jake Heaps or knock down Jordan Wynn in November?

Let's have a look, shall we?

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Ross Apo

Ross Apo

Ben Cahoon is the new wide receiver’s coach for the BYU Cougars. Cahoon made a career overachieving by running precise routes and having an aggressive nose for the ball. He’ll be the first to admit he used those skills and hard work to overcome his lack of natural physical ability.

But then there’s Ross Apo. He possesses a ton of physical talent, speed and height. He reportedly has a 38-inch vertical. But that’s the tip of his iceberg.

"It is the way he runs routes, sets his hips, comes back to the quarterback” said former coach Brad Vaccaro. “For a guy that size, to be that sharp, those are moves you normally see in a smaller receiver. You see tall guys like Jerry Rice do things like this, something you see once in a blue moon," he said.

As a true freshman, Apo was injured in the first game of the season and was forced to redshirt. Barring injury, Cougar fans can expect him to be the biggest impact freshman on the roster, picking up lots of open routs while the defenses focus on Cody Hoffman.

Don’t be surprised to find Apo quickly become a favorite third down target of sophomore QB Jake Heaps.

Speaking of Heaps, here’s a great article by Dick Harmon of the Deseret News on the relationship of Heaps and Apo. Great reading.

Jordan Johnson

Jordan Johnson

No part of the BYU team has as many question marks for the Cougars in the 2011 season as the defensive backfield.

This has been a common theme of seasons past, but most recently, the Cougars had been solid at the edges with Brandon Bradley and Logan Clark bringing plenty of experience and Andrew Rich anchoring the middle.

Alas, those experienced DBs are gone, and now, the field is white for players like Jordan Johnson.

Johnson, a 5’10", 175 speedster from Massachusetts, showed flashes of speed and skill in spring ball and should challenge for minutes right away. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, he could find himself in the driver’s seat to handle the opposition’s No. 2 WR.

Travis Tuiloma

Photo courtesy of BYUCougars.com

Travis Tuiloma

Tuiloma redshirted in 2010 and is expected to deliver at a high level after studying with the team and learning the defensive schemes. 

He’ll bring a ton of size to the defensive line at 6’2", 300-plus and should be a tough target for offensive linemen to slow.

And with Bronco running the defense by strategy of constant fresh legs, expect this big frosh to get plenty of reps in practice and a lot of experience on the D-line on Saturdays.

Alani Fua

Alani Fua

Fua is another of the redshirt freshman from the 2009 recruiting class expected to make an impact this season.

Fua stands a towering 6’5" for a linebacker but carries only 195 pounds in that frame. That gives him the agility necessary to avoid the O-lineman who would target his center of gravity to neutralize him.

Fua was highly recruited out of high school, with offers from most of the Pac-12, but should show this season why Cougar fans should be grateful he made the decision to come to Provo.

Ryker Mathews

Ryker Mathews

The American Fork Caveman-turned-BYU Cougar, Mathews comes to Provo with high expectations as the top recruit in the state of Utah. The 6’6" offensive lineman will need to pack on the pounds (currently a paltry 285), but he comes with such promise he even had his own ESPN feature article.

Mathews is expected to compete for the right guard position this fall. And if he settles into this very experienced line early, he ought to be on track to be a four-year starter and another in the long line of NFL linemen from BYU.

Justin Sorensen

Justin Sorensen

OK, so he’s technically a sophomore. But we saw so little of Sorenson as a freshman, and he’s been on an LDS mission in Georgia. So Cougar Nation certainly feels like he’s new to the team.

And he’ll fill a position the team hasn’t worried about for years. But Mitch Payne is gone, and the position is Sorensen’s to own.

And his legend preceded him. Before even stepping on the field at BYU, fans envisioned him hitting a 50-plus yard field goal to down Utah. That’s because Sorensen has a foot that could become a thing of lore.

Watch the video and you’ll see him kicking bombs from 60-plus.