BYU Football: Rebuilding vs. Reloading

BYU Football Takes the Field

Every winter coaching staffs around the country take a look at their white boards in order to assess the depth and skill levels at each position. They look at who is coming in for fall, who they are bringing in for spring, and who the underclassmen are that will fill voided positions during spring practice and eventually in the fall.

Going through this process helps the coaching staff set their off-season and spring practice expectations and goals. It can also bring to mind the question I am posing today, Is there really a difference between rebuilding and reloading?

I believe there is a big difference.

When rebuilding a team, coaches need to look at the foundation of players they have in order to build from the ground up.

For instance, the most visible example is Mr. Jake Heaps.

He is a player that I feel the coaching staff is hoping to build upon. He comes in as a very talented freshmen, with the chance to win the starting job. He had a strong spring, which helped him gain the confidence of both the coaching staff and his teammates.

Like it or not, that young quarterback is developing into the corner stone of the offense for years to come.

Munns and Nelsen also play key roles because they help sustain momentum if Heaps isn’t as ready as Cougar fans are hoping. Munns and Nelsen help the coaching staff mitigate the risk associated with starting a freshmen quarterback.

If Heaps isn’t performing, Anae and The Dominator have two possible replacements that have been in the system for at least two years, and with some experience could thrive in the role of a starter.

Also, in the event that Heaps isn’t ready for the opener, Coach Mendenhall can assess the possibilities of red-shirting Heaps in order to learn the system and save his eligibility (but this tactic could backfire, example Coach Crowton and Ben Olson).

Anyway you slice it, the Cougar offense is definitely rebuilding. (Similar situations can be found at running back, tight end, and wide receiver.)

If the Cougars were reloading, they would already have the bullets in their holsters in order to slide them into place and begin firing.

Coach Mendenhall has done a great job of reducing the amount of down time between starters exiting and new starters arriving. Yet, this year really will be a team of no names. In a way I really like the challenge, and the fact that no one knows what to expect from BYU this year.

The Cougars could develop into an option based offense or a drop back offense. The offensive staff has lots of options, but can they get the right mix in time to ensure that the Cougars hit the field running full speed ahead, not half speed sideways.