Bleacher Report - Articles by Mitch Harper

BYU Football and the Defensive Line

Mitch Harper — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:03:59 -0400

This is the second installment in a position-by-position breakdown of the BYU Football program.

Heading into the past two seasons, the defensive line has been a concern in Provo, due to youth in 2006 and injuries in 2007.

In both seasons they surprised everyone, as the defense has been in the top 15 in scoring defense the past two seasons, with the D-line a big part of that.

Going into 2008, however, the position on paper finally looks to be a strength, and it will be vital to perform to expectations with an inexperienced secondary behind them. Getting pressure in opposing backfields will be key and the talent is there to do such a thing.

Junior: Jan Jorgensen

Many preseason predictions have Jorgensen as the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and a possible All-American candidate.

Jorgensen had 14 sacks last season, ranking in the top 10 nationally.

Jorgensen has a motor and will be drawing a lot of double teams this season, which will open things up for everyone else. If he continues to produce at high level will be playing on Sundays in the future.

Junior: Ian Dulan

Opted to stay in school rather than go on a mission was the smart choice. He has started 16 games in his career at BYU and will be the starter this season if he stays healthy.

Dulan missed the Wyoming game last season due to an MCL injury and in 2006 sufferred a leg injury midway through the season.

Along with Jorgensen, these two might be the best starting DE combo in the conference.

Junior: Brett Denney

The Denney family has been good to BYU over the years.

Both Ryan and John were talented DEs and are currently in the NFL.

The third Denney, Brett, has been no slouch either showing a lot of potential. He had his first start of his career last year against Wyoming in replace of an injured Ian Dulan.

Denney is a solid back up and would be a starter for many teams in the Mountain West.

RS-Freshman: David Angilau

Red-shirted last season, he skipped a practice mid-way through along with five other freshmen, but didn’t lead to any suspensions.

He’s only 18-years-old, so there is a possibility he could be serving a mission after 2008.

From his high school days in Longmont, Colorado he was a good pass rusher and an all-state performer.

RS-Freshman: Steven Fendry

A transfer from Colorado, Fendry red-shirted last season and was switched from tight end to defensive line before fall camp last year.

He has been with the unit for a year now.

At tight end, Fendry was in the top 30 at that position nationally in the Class of 2006, and an all around good athlete who lettered in basketball and lacrosse in high school.

He could make a dent in the two-deep this year with his size at 6’6” and has long arms to make things difficult for opposing QBs.

Junior: Kyle Leukenga

Leukenga red-shirted last season, and this past spring was suspended due to violating team rules.

Last month, we saw Leukenga working out with the team, so I would assume he is back in the program.

Junior: Bernard Afutiti

Afutiti was a four-star recruit out of Mt. San Antonio College.

Out of high school back in the 2005 recruiting class, Afutiti was offered by BYU and many others including some of College Football’s historic programs: Michigan, USC and Ohio State.

Afutiti couldn’t make it grade wise so he went to San Jose State and was academically ineligible there.

He then ended up at Mt. San Antonio where he was the team MVP in his first season and had 22 tackles for loss. Afutiti was a surprise signing this past Letter of Intent Day, but according to head coach Bronco Mendenhall, Afutiti still had work to do to get cleared into BYU.

So, here’s to hoping that Afutiti can get in, because he could be a big-time boost a line that is already strong.

Walk-Ons:

Jordan Chronister, Soph., Eastern Arizona CC

Steven Fisher, Soph., Orem HS (UT)

David Tuitupou, Fr., Mountain View HS (UT)

Defensive Tackle

Junior: Russell Tialavea

Coming into 2007, the defensive tackle spot was thought to be strength with Tialavea coming off his great sophomore season in 2006 where he started in all 13 games.

That all changed during the first scrimmage of fall camp last year when Tialavea went down with a season-ending ACL injury.

Tialavea will have to apply for a medical red shirt his senior season to see if he can get that year back and I would assume the NCAA would grant him.

All reports now, indicate that Tialavea will be ready for fall camp and will be competing for the starting DT spot this season. When healthy, Tialavea is one of the best DTs in the conference if not the best.

Sophomore: Rick Wolfley

Originally an offensive lineman, but was switched to defense after Tialavea went down and Garrett Reden was switched back to offense.

At 6’3”, 343 lbs., he is definitely a guy who plugs the middle and stops the run.

Wolfley is most likely the No. 2 guy in the rotation.

Junior: Tevita Hola

Hola was a mid-year transfer out of Snow JC (UT) where he was a four-star recruit.

Hola has experience in the program already playing spring ball and performing well during the scrimmage at the tackle spot. He will be competing for the No. 1 spot.

Senior: Mosese Foketi

Saw limited action last year coming off a red shirt season. We should see more time this year with no clear-cut rotation set yet until camp.

Walk-Ons:

Rockey Kalamafoni, Fr., Tonga

Brock Richardson, Sr., Idaho Falls, ID

Players serving Mormon missions

Eathyn Manumaleuna (DT)

Serving in Oklahoma City.

Manumaleuna last season was a true freshman and established him as the starter at defensive tackle in replace of Tialavea and started every game.

His shining moment was in the Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA where he blocked UCLA’s field goal attempt to win the game, giving BYU the 17-16 victory and their second straight bowl victory.

He has a bright future ahead of him when he gets back in 2010.

Romney Fuga (DT)

Serving in Madagascar.

Played in 13 games as a true freshman in 2006 and had two tackles for loss.

Fuga is a very strong player who wrestled in high school, was highly-recruited out of Edison HS in Huntington Beach (CA).

He will be back in April of 2009.

Jordan Richardson

Serving in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Red-shirted in 2006, will be back in 2009.

Players BYU has offered for Class of 2009

Latu Heimuli – Highland HS (UT)

A four-star defensive tackle that is getting more and more attention as the recruiting process continues.

Heimuli has offers from Arizona, Washington, Oregon State and Utah.

BYU hasn’t had recent success with highly rated in-state recruits outside of the ones from Timpview HS in Provo. A good thing for BYU was that they were the first to offer to Heimuli.

Next Preview: Running Back

Quarterbacks

State of BYU Football: Quarterbacks

Mitch Harper — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:42:56 -0400

This is the first installment in a position-by-position breakdown analyzing the personnel within BYU Football at each position for 2008 and in years to come. It's not the State of the Union, but to people in Provo, a.k.a. Cougar Town, on game days it might be more important.

It was easy to pick what position to start off with when talking about BYU, who is better known for being the “Quarterback Factory.”

Projected Depth Chart for 2008

#15 Max Hall, Jr.

Hall came to BYU via Arizona State back in 2006. He was expected to be the backup behind current Miami Dolphins QB John Beck that season but was ineligible due to a NCAA transfer rule, so Hall sat out and prepped himself to take over in 2007, a year after the best season in BYU’s program since the 1996 14-1 Cotton Bowl team.

It was a daunting task to follow Beck, but Hall indeed prepped himself and was named starter during that spring, beating out Cade Cooper who shortly after spring ball transferred to Oregon and has since left for Southern Utah.

Going into the season opener against Arizona last season, no one knew what to expect out of Hall, a guy who hadn’t played in a meaningful game in four years. Hall by far exceeded expectations in the opener.

With the exception of a blindside fumble caused by recent first round draft pick Antoine Cason, Hall had a flawless game in a offensive scheme that set him up to succeed and he led BYU to the win—the first season-opening victory of the Bronco Mendenhall era. Hall displayed a grittiness and toughness that would later lead him and the Cougars to a 11-2 record and the No. 14 ranking to end the season.

Now, Hall is a known commodity to everyone, but don’t expect that to slow him down. He has a year under his belt, along with everyone else in this offense. His production will be more impressive this season with the offensive playbook opening up more this season.

Hall has established himself as a vocal leader on the team and his teammates believe in him, as do the Cougar faithful—including this one. The moment I was a believer in Hall was during the preseason Salt Lake Cougar Club night last year at the downtown Sheraton. He said his goal at BYU was to win a National Championship, and when he said that I believed in him.

It would take a lot to happen in a season for BYU to have a shot at the National Title, but with Hall leading the way Cougar faithful believe the sky is the limit. The nation will shortly start to take notice as well in Provo’s latest edition in the Quarterback Factory.

#6 Brenden Gaskins, Jr.

A JUCO transfer who was originally at Nevada, Gaskins had a good Spring Game back in 2007 in place of Cade Cooper to establish himself as the No. 2 guy. He didn’t see many reps during the season so is still inexperienced, and didn’t perform very well to solidify himself to be the guy behind Hall for ’08 last spring.

He has good measurements at 6'4", 215, and with a year under his belt should know the offense better to be insurance for Hall.

#4 Kurt McEuen, So.

While at the Blue-White scrimmage this past Spring, McEuen seemed to outperform Gaskins, with McEuen’s unit scoring a touchdown. He will battle Gaskins for No. 2 spot during Fall Camp.

#10 Stephen Covey, Fr.

A return Missionary who switched from Safety to QB during the spring. Covey played QB during his days at Timpview High (Provo) and would be a player who changes things up on the offense. He is more mobile and can run out of the pocket. With the lack of depth at Safety, he is a possibility to move back if needed.

Players currently serving Mormon missions

James Lark

Serving in St. Petersburg, Russia. Lark who was expected to go on a mission prior to the 2007 season but opted to stay in school another year. When he gets back in January of 2010 he will be a Sophomore.

Jason Munns

Serving in Oaxaca, Mexico. Munns was a heralded four-star recruit out of Kennesaw, Washington in the 2007 class. At 6'5" he has great size and a strong arm. He will return in 2010 and compete for the starting position with Max Hall gone.

Riley Nelson

Nelson caused a big stir in the Utah football world this past Memorial Day when he and his family contacted BYU coaches to let them know he would be transferring to Cougar Town from Utah State when he was done serving his mission in Spain. Nelson will be back before Spring Ball in 2009, so he will have an inside track on the other competitors to take over for Max Hall in 2010.

Christian Stewart (Preferred Walk-On)

A talented player out of Timpanogos HS who wasn’t recruited until late in the recruiting process due to three coaching changes and different offenses. He set a Utah HS record for touchdown passes per game in his career with four. Stewart will be leaving for a mission shortly.

Dallin Cutler (Walk-On)

A “hybrid” athlete who led Alta to the state championship game his Senior season back in ’06, but lost to Bingham. He will be back before spring practices in ’09.

Player(s) BYU has offered for 2009 recruiting class

Josh Nunes – Upland, CA

Nunes is a Top 100 recruit and is receiving offers from numerous schools. He recently revealed his “Top Eight” and BYU was one of his schools. He visited the campus and was impressed.

With Riley Nelson transferring and limited scholarships, the QB position isn’t a glaring need, but BYU is still going after Nunes. If they land him he would be a huge get and add depth down the road.

OUTLOOK

The next two years, barring injury, are Max Hall's years. He has the talent around him to do some great things and win many games. The key will be to get those Non-Conference road wins.

The last BYU QB to win a non-conference road game was Larry King's brother-in-law, Bret Engemann, against Utah State back in 2002. Hall has opportunities against Washington and Utah State this season, then Arizona State, his former team, in 2009.

After Hall the future is still bright with Nelson, Munns, and Lark, who will all compete for the starting job in 2010 and are talented players who bring a lot to the table. The QB position, with the exception of a few years, has always been a strength at BYU and shows no signs of letting up in the future.

Next Preview: Defensive Line

College Football: Spring Practice Top 25

Mitch Harper — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:44:39 -0400

Who doesn't do a Top 25 these days? Well, I have been getting an itch for a football fix lately, so I broke down and made a Top 25 like everyone and their dog does, but why not?

It's always fun to speculate and make lists. Here's my Top 25 for Spring Football...

1. Georgia Bulldogs

The Bulldogs absolutely dominated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl and are now getting hype as the best team in America by many writers and I'm jumping on that bandwagon. The Bulldogs are loaded with QB Matt Stafford, RB Knowshon Moreno, who are both Heisman contenders. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs are young but very quick and athletic with no seniors on the projected starting lineup going into the spring.

2. USC Trojans

Last year was a let down for the Trojans as they were predicted to be one of the best teams in the history of college football, but they failed to live up to the hype, as their play was lethargic in the first half of the season, resulting in losses to Stanford and Oregon.

The Trojans still won the Pac-10 outright and won the Rose Bowl in dominant fashion against Illinois. Just another ho-hum year in the land of Troy. Expect sophomore RB Joe McKnight with a full year of training with the program to establish himself as one of the best players in college football in 2008.

3. Oklahoma Sooners

WR Malcolm Kelly left for the NFL, but seniors Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson remain on an offense led by sophomore Sam Bradford. Bradford had one of the best seasons statistically as a freshman last year, so expect great production again with Bradford's entire offensive line returning, all of whom are seniors, most notably guard Duke Robinson.

4. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns have a total of 12 starters returning from a team that won 10 games for their seventh straight season. The offense still looks loaded even with the losses of WR Limas Sweed and RB Jamaal Charles to the NFL. The Horns are ready to make a run in the difficult Big 12 South division and regain the top spot yet again.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

18 starters return on a team that lost in the National Championship game, but don't expect that to put the Buckeyes in a downward spiral. They will be even better and are the favorites in the Big Ten. Senior Todd Boeckman has a year as starter under his belt and the confidence is there. Chris "Beanie" Wells at tailback and LB James Laurinaitis anchoring the defense. Ohio State will yet again be around the top of the polls next season. And hey, they have Michigan in Columbus.

6. Arizona State Sun Devils

Last spring, I had ASU as one of the surprise teams in college football, and I even said they had a chance of starting 7-0 in their first seven games. That prediction came to fruition in Dennis Erickson's first year and the Sleeping Giant in the desert looks to use that national momentum they gained last season into a Pac-10 title, something that has eluded them since the Jake "The Snake" Plummer days back in 1996.

QB Rudy Carpenter returns under center for his senior season along with RB Keegan Herring and all of their top three wide receivers. The Sun Devils have some losses at offensive line that need to be addressed, but this team will still put up tons of points and will give Georgia a run for their money on September 20th.

7. LSU Tigers

The defending National Champs are reeling after suspending projected starting QB Ryan Perriloux for all of spring, but I would expect Perriloux to be back come fall. So, watch for former Harvard gunslinger Andrew Hatch to be running the Tiger offense this spring.

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders

The third team from the Big 12 South in my Top 10. The Red Raiders have very few losses and return Biletnikoff winner WR Michael Crabtree who I predicted last season to have a breakout year. A total of 10 starters return from the nation's No. 1 passing offense and they shouldn't lose a beat in 2008. Expect more yards from this pass-happy Mike Leach offense.

9. Missouri Tigers

Last year, the Tigers caught everyone off guard, but this year they will be a known commodity. The running game is a concern but there is some experience in senior Jimmy Jackson who ran for 331 yards on 67 attempts last year in the Tigers school-record 12-win season and Cotton Bowl win.

10. Florida Gators

Emmanuel Moody takes over at Running Back for a offense that has relied on the legs of Heisman winner Tim Tebow and departed WR Andre Caldwell. The Gators finally have a legitimate running back threat in the Urban Meyer era. On defense, the Gators look to be really stout even with the loss of Derrick Harvey to the NFL. DT Javier Estopinan is the lone senior on a defense that has plenty of experience.

11. Virginia Tech Hokies

The two QB system should be in full force this season in Blacksburg with Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor, who both had bright moments in a season that ended in a disappointing loss to Kansas in the Orange Bowl. Four of the five starting offensive lineman from last year return to give the two QBs plenty of protection as the Hokies look to defend their ACC crown.

12. BYU Cougars

BYU has had back-to-back 11-win seasons and has came close to crashing the BCS in both those years. But some early non-conference losses have done the Cougars in. Games at Washington and against UCLA at home are games BYU needs to win to prove to people that the Cougars are a legitimate BCS team. With 10 offensive starters returning on a offense that had a 3,842-yard passer in Max Hall and a 1,600 all-purpose yard running back, Harvey Unga, the Cougars could run the table and be the next "mid-major" to crash the BCS party.

13. Clemson Tigers

The Tigers have had a great off-season thus far with an outstanding recruiting class highlighted by DE DaQuan Bowers who is one of the best recruits in the class of 2008. He doesn't come until the fall but he should help a team that continues to fall short when expectations are placed upon them. This year, there are 16 starters returning including RBs James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Davis opted to return for his season and is hungry for a ACC crown along with all of Death Valley.

14. Wisconsin Badgers

One of my National Championship favorites last year, the Badgers struggled on the road in the Big Ten, dropping three games and lost to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. This season, Wisconsin will continue to live up to its reputation as a power on the ground with junior RB P.J. Hill and FB Chris Pressley. Both are guys you don't want to get hit by. Allan Evridge, the former K-State QB, will be the man at the helm this season with Tyler Donovan departing.

15. Oregon Ducks

The Ducks gained some momentum for '08 after destroying South Florida in the Sun Bowl, 56-21. Dennis Dixon and the athletic specimen Jonathan Stewart but to fill their voids are talented QB Justin Roper a 6'6 195-pound junior who had four TD passes in the bowl and RB Jeremiah Johnson who has had over 1,000 yards rushing in his three years in Eugene.

16. Tennessee Volunteers

QB Erik Ainge never quite lived up to his hype in his four years in Knoxville and now it looks to be Jonathan Crompton who has the early edge going into spring. The defense for the Vols gets a big boost in safety Demetrice Morley who was suspended the entire 2007 season but is back, and adds to a defense that is already stock-piled with talent that includes DB Eric Berry who was a freshman All-American and Rico McCoy at linebacker.

17. Auburn Tigers

Auburn started their spring practices today and the QB derby to replace departed Brandon Cox is the top question for spring with four guys vying for the nod. Junior Chris Todd, sophomore Kodi Burns, sophomore Neil Caudle and true freshman DeRon Furr are the contenders, my guess would be Kodi Burns. He is a multi-dimensional athlete and will have an outstanding offensive line to protect for him this season, all five starters from last year return.

18. Miami Hurricanes

This might surprise many, but the Canes are ready to get back to being the intimidating program they once were. Randy Shannon is in his second year as head coach and already feels the pressure to win in South Beach. Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman are gone so that leaves redshirt freshman Robert Marve as the top candidate to take over a Miami offense that has struggled in recent years. But this team will still be outstanding on defense. If Marve can make plays on offense and get the ball to many of his playmakers the Canes should have a pleasant bounceback season.

19. Fresno State Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are well-known for their scheduling approach, "Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere." Well that's really nice and all but when you haven't won an outright WAC title you need to reconsider the approach. None the less, the Bulldogs have 17 total starters returning. This team is definitely Top 20 worthy in terms of talent but at the end of the season they very well might be 8-4 due to the difficult scheduling approach that includes @ UCLA, @ Kansas State, Wisconsin (home) and @ Toledo. The Bulldogs also have only five home games, which is always tough.

20. Illinois Fighting Illini

Ron Zook and his great recruiting classes have been paying off instantly in Champagne, culminating in a Rose Bowl appearance last year, but Illinois realized they weren't anywhere near the elite of the college football world after being man-handled by USC. Illinois loses stud RB Rashard Mendenhall to the NFL but "Juice" Williams is back at QB along with outstanding the freshman last season, Arrelious Benn. A total of 13 starters return for the Illini including Will Davis and Vontae Davis on Defense.

21. Kansas Jayhawks

Similiar to Missouri, the Jayhawks are a known commodity now so it will be interesting to see how they respond to having a bullseye on their backs after winning the Orange Bowl. Todd Reesing returns and is just one of many talented QBs in the Big XII next season.

22. West Virginia Mountaineers

The loss of Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt are big losses but QB Pat White is still in the fold and is still one of the premiere talents in the nation. Bill Stewart takes over as head coach as Mountaineers fans look to finally move on from the Rich Rodriguez nonsense. Stewart was a great hire because he won't leave the program, this is his dream job. West Virginia is still the favorite in the Big East.

23. Boise State Broncos

RB Ian Johnson returns for what seems to be his 10th year in Boise and the Broncos will be breaking in a new QB, Michael Coughlin. You would think Boise is gonna stop producing after all these years, but I don't think it happens this year. Boise has 13 starters returning and they're hungry to regain the WAC title once again.

24. Pitt Panthers

Dave Wannstedt has been landing some outstanding recruiting classes the past few years but now it's time to actually do something with the talent. Tailback LeSean McCoy is a potential Heisman contender; as a true freshman last season McCoy rushed for 1,328 yards and had 244 yards receiving.

25. Washington Huskies (SLEEPER)

Tyrone Willingham, for some odd reason, had to receive a vote of confidence to remain in Seattle and it was the wise move keeping him because Willingham and the Huskies should make great strides in the Pac-10 this season. QB Jake Locker is the west coast version of Tim Tebow with less hype and in my opinion more talented. The Huskies return 16 total starters and also had a stellar recruiting class highlighted by running back Chris Polk who had offers from a handful of Pac-10 schools. The Huskies are on the rise and with games like Oklahoma and BYU in Seattle U-Dub could make noise early.

Others who missed the cut: South Carolina, Florida State, Alabama, Hawaii, Utah, Colorado, Michigan