Cougar Tracks: Camp Questions Answered

With "Camp Cougar" going in the books today, it's a good time to reflect on the last two-plus weeks of BYU Football practices and what they might mean for the season ahead.

More than a month ago, I previewed preseason camp with a Cougar Tracks list of "20 Questions"; today, I'll do my best to answer those questions with the benefit of hindsight.

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Question 1. How hard will BYU go?

This question provided the most compelling storyline of camp, as head coach Bronco Mendenhall instituted a limited-contact policy in which full pads were only donned for live scrimmages and tackling was not allowed except in those settings. Early in camp, Mendenhall said "I don't think it hurts at all," when asked how the new regimen might affect tackling skills. "You work your feet even more, having to get there and touch an opponent. We have 29 seniors as well--I've seen them for a couple of years, so I'm not as concerned about that. In fact, we're getting more guys to touch the ball carrier than we were in our old format." Mendenhall stuck to his guns throughout camp, calling it "an effective non-padded strategy," and at the end of it, said there was "not one significant injury caused by practice…some minor injuries, but no 'majors,' so I would just say that's a great thing. Right now, we have a full and healthy team going into game prep, with two weeks to go."

There were a number of the aforementioned minor injuries, including broken bones suffered by tight end Devin Mahina (hand) and OL Solomone Kafu (hand); Mahina is likely out for the first game or two, while Kafu may play in the opener.

DE Ian Dulan aggravated his back early in camp and will have been out for about three weeks by the time the season-opener rolls around; Dulan's status for the Washington State game is to be determined.

What we might call a "pre-existing condition" has sidelined kicker Justin Sorensen, who Mendenhall hopes is available to kick in the opener, but without any live work in camp, he's a major question mark heading into the 2012 campaign.

WR Dallin Cutler strained a hamstring that has put him out of commission for the last two weeks; he has time to recover, but did very little in camp.

LB Brandon Ogletree was limited in his reps with a non-specified injury, with the intent of getting him ready for the 12-game grind; no one has worries about his preparedness.

A handful of offensive linemen missed days with various maladies, but besides Walter Kahaiali'I's season-ending knee issues (a problem leading into camp), there were no long-term concerns.

Mendenhall believes his new approach has paid dividends, and while only game action will truly judge the team's readiness for contact, the Cougars' second scrimmage in particular showed crispness and energy on both sides of the ball.

Meantime, in terms of tempo and work load, it was an intense and productive camp, so even without full-on hitting, Mendenhall did work the team hard, and as the daily practice-ending conditioning gauntlet bore testament, limited contact did not mean any less bearing down in the summer heat.

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Question 2. Will Riley Nelson get to warm his arm up?

BYU did not run particularly long 11-on-11 practice sessions in camp, and none of them involved fully-live play and hitting, but Nelson got starter's reps in those sessions, and the lion's share of throws. In two scrimmages, Nelson was 16-for-26 for 245 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. The running backs and slot receivers were the stars of the passing game in camp, with BYU working the short game and play-action extensively. Outside threats Cody Hoffman and Ross Apo were not heavily utilized, but that was more a function of their reps being intentionally managed.

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Question 3. How much work will Taysom Hill get?

Hill emerged as the presumptive third-stringer, but as camp wound down, Mendenhall would only acknowledge that "it's likely" the return missionary freshman would play this season. While Hill did not see a ton of snaps (two scrimmages: 4-for-9, 86 yards, TD, no ints), his versatility essentially ensures that he will see the field in 2012. He had his moments in the two scrimmages, and could end up being a not-so-secret weapon of sorts for the Cougars.

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Question 4. Is Iona Pritchard the next coming of Manase Tonga?

After a very jumpy and impressive opening week, Pritchard's workload seemed to decrease as camp wore on, largely because the coaches are comfortable with what he can do. Pritchard iss a prototype BYU combo back; equally adept as a runner, lead blocker, pass-protector and pass-catcher. I'm excited to see him get turned loose in the opener.

Pritchard averaged better than five yards per carry in limited scrimmage work (5 carries, 26 yards), and most importantly, he stayed healthy. All systems "go" for the big back who saw his 2011 campaign ended before it began with a dislocation fracture of his ankle.

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Question 5. Which newcomer will make an impact?

On offense, freshmen Jamaal Williams and Dylan Collie definitely earned some 2012 playing time.

Williams had an impressive first scrimmage, carrying the ball five times for 36 yards, adding a dozen yards on two receptions. The 17-year old was held out of the second scrimmage with a sprained ankle, but the injury is minor. His position coach Joe DuPaix said of Williams, early in camp that "Jamaal's a very electrifying young man; that's on and off the field. He's got a great personality; he's a smart young man. On the field, he's got some great burst, speed and athleticism...you definitely can see him as a possible contributor for us. I have a lot of excitement and upside geared towards him; he's really done some good things...(but) he needs to grow up quickly, and that's the challenge that I've given him. You've gotta grow up real fast, and be like a 19-year old man, right now. And he has accepted that." Not sure how many reps will be there for Williams, but the way he performed throughout camp, I can't see coaches keeping him off the field.

As for Collie, his first scrimmage saw him grab two balls for 22 yards; he had no stats in the second scrimmage, but has spent the latter part of camp rotating through with the first string at the "Z receiver spot. Collie's BYU pedigree is well-established, but he by no means coasted into camp on reputation; offensive coordinator Brandon Doman said "he's gonna play; he's in the rotation with the first group right now...he's just a little feisty fighter. He has come out here and competed hard, and I don't know that we can go through the season without him."

Wide receivers coach Ben Cahoon said "he's a Collie. He's confident, and he expects to be on the field. Makes plays when called upon...he's a guy you want to coach." Collie is also in the punt return mix, behind starter JD Falslev.

Rugby star Paul Lasike showed well in limited live reps; he'll be a fun guy to watch when called upon, probably in late-game/blowout situations, to begin with.

Defensively, while some nice young depth was being developed, there aren't too many openings on a veteran unit. That said, return missionary freshman Bronson Kaufusi is pressing for a spot in the two-deep.

While not technically newcomers, redshirts Ryker Mathews, Adam Hine and Remington Peck also deserve mention. Mathews is slated to start at left tackle, while Hine had two very nice scrimmages, running 18 times for 146 yards. There are a lot of backs in Joe DuPaix's stable, but Hine is bound to get snaps. Peck is just off a mission, and the former Bingham HS standout is in the two-deep at defensive end heading into the season.

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Question 6. What does Ross Apo do for an encore?

This one is a hard one to answer, since his camp was low-key, to say the least. Coming off shoulder surgery, Apo was limited for the first week of camp, and seemed to be used sparingly from that point forward. He did not play in either scrimmage. One can only presume he'll be ready to go full speed when the season starts, but the camp evidence for such a belief was spotty at best.

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Question 7. Where and how much will Ziggy play?

Ziggy Ansah had a strong start to camp, and showed the coaches all they needed to see to consider him a prime-time player at three positions: weakside linebacker, nickel rusher and backup defensive end. Kyle Van Noy ideally won't leave too many open snaps at "Will," but the 6'6", 270 lb. Ansah will see enough of the field to make a difference, especially as a rusher in BYU's nickel defense, which will get a lot of work against Washington State. Ian Dulan's back injury may put Ziggy in the front-line mix as the right end in BYU's traditional three-man front.

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Question 8. Are the tight ends back?

Let's just say it's a good thing there are a lot of them.

Austin Holt and Richard Wilson simply don't appear to be all the way back yet, less than a year removed from ACL surgeries (Wilson also tore his MCL). Devin Mahina remains out with a broken hand, leaving Marcus Mathews (35 career receptions, 435 yards, TD) and Kaneakua Friel (7 career rec, 55 yards, TD) as the only proven commodities, and both are fine players. Mathews, it should be noted, is playing his first full season as a hand-on-the-ground tight end after serving as a "flex" TE in 2011. Stehly Reden provides some healthy depth, but after Mathews and Friel, this group needs Mahina to recover, and more time for Holt and Wilson.

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Question 9. Who will be the new offensive linemen?

It looks like Ryker Mathews (left tackle) and Brock Stringham (right guard) will be the newcomers to the line, with veteran Houston Reynolds battling Blair Tushaus for the center spot. Braden Brown has been a mainstay at right tackle, while Braden Hansen has just recently re-staked a spot at left guard and spending most of camp with the second string.

Bottom line is that the OL combos changed from one day to the next due to minor injuries and coaching decisions. The opening night starting five may or may not be a surprise, but line boasts depth and versatility, which should pay off in the end. Solomone Kafu, Famika Anae, Ryan Freeman, Michael Yeck, Manaaki Vaitai and Terrance Alletto are all in the mix for a spot in the OL two-deep.

Mendenhall singled out the offensive line for its strong performance in the second scrimmage of camp, and indeed, the run game in general should give BYU fans significant confidence as the season gets underway.

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Question 10. How is Kyle Van Noy's shoulder?

All indications are the shoulder is in great shape after surgery to fix it six months ago. Van Noy had to wait until August 14th for full clearance, and while he was kept out of live scrimmages and hence hasn't tackled a live body since the Armed Forces Bowl, he has been running with the first string in pretty much every drill and simulation and has not missed many of his practice reps.

Until he actually hits and gets hit, BYU fans will have their fingers crossed, but KVN appears ready to play again.

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Question 11. Who will start at free safety?

In BYU's standard defensive alignment, Joe Sampson would get the nod. In BYU's nickel, Sampson would play nickel back and either Mike Hague or Craig Bills would be the pick at free safety. Bills has also played Kat behind Daniel Sorensen…so Mendenhall has some options at the two safety spots.

While Hague has more experience, and saw more camp reps as the first-stringer at Free, sophomore Bills is a mainstay in the making. However these guys are deployed, the Cougars should be in fine shape at free safety.

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Question 12. Is Justin Sorensen recovered?

In a word, no. His offseason back surgery left him in no condition to kick in camp, but a recent nerve-blocking injection was implemented to bring him around in time to kick in the opener. At least, that's Mendenhall's stated hope, but the coach is preparing other options—-namely, having Riley Stephenson handle Sorensen's kickoff duties and at least some placekicking. Taysom Hill was also a kicker and punter in high school while walk-on Scott Arellano is a punter who has done placekicking in the past.

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Question 13. Who is the fourth wide receiver?

Because BYU has three distinct receiver groups in X, Z and H, this was a somewhat poorly constructed question, for if the fourth receiver is an X and BYU needs a backup H, the fourth receiver will not be the guy going in. With that established, Mendenhall said after two weeks of camp that Mitch Mathews had the inside track to be the next receiver after Hoffman, Apo and JD Falslev, but a clavicle injury forced Mathews to the sidelines for the days before and after the second scrimmage.

Cahoon said Mathews "has definitely got all the physical tools, but he's not healthy. He's going to have to get healthy and then prove he can stay healthy."

Meantime, Dylan Collie had a strong camp, and while Brett Thompson made enough plays to earn some attention, an eye eye-opener was converted quarterback Alex Kuresa, who has some catching up to do re: technique, but is a natural play-maker who earned coaches' plaudits as camp progressed. Kuresa should see the field in one way or another this upcoming season--as an H or an X or really anywhere coaches want to position him. Cody Raymomd is a shifty guy with reliable hands; he can be an H or a Z. Skyler Ridley started practices as the primary backup to Hoffman at X, but got passed up by Mathews as camp progressed. Terren Houk (Z) had his moments, but was inconsistent and remains a raw receiver prospect. Kurt Henderson and Jordan Henderson provide additional depth at X, while Cutler's spot as primary backup to Apo at Z has been jeopardized by his hamstring injury.

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Question 14. How much no-huddle?

Probably quite a bit. BYU won't be running a spread, but will incorporate a hurry-up tempo with more personnel/play versatility than we saw last season, when the Cougars were more predictable by formation and personnel deployment. BYU seeks to prove—-and I believe will prove--that a generally pro-style offense can still keep defenses considerably off balance.

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Question 15. Is Jordan Johnson ready for prime time?

The answer looks to be "yes." Johnson took basically every first-string snap at field and/or left corner, and the position looks to be his for the next three seasons.

Some in the program have called Johnson the best athlete on the team, and while camp didn't feature Johnson piling up stats, with the defenders being asked to "lay off," a lot of their play-making ability was curtailed. I'm betting that ability comes to the forefront when the plays start counting on August 30th.

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Question 16. Can O'Neill Chambers find playing time?

This question was answered on the day before camp began with the revelation that Chambers was not invited to camp, and was "not in good standing with the football program." Chambers' long and curious BYU journey has seemingly come to an end.

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Question 17. How much nickel defense will we see?

Based on camp, and the identity of BYU's season-opening opponent, probably a fair bit—-certainly on August 30th. How much nickel BYU deploys afterward will in large part be a function of the defensive game plan, but certainly, Mendenhall has found a defense with which he is very comfortable, thanks to a deep secondary and linebacking corps that make 2-4-5 a reasonable and effective alignment.

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Question 18. Who will end up MIA?

Chambers, to begin with, followed by Robbie Buckner (injury), Jordan Richardson and Jray Galea'I (both with career-ending medical situations), and new signee Taumata Tofi (medical)—-none of whom made it into camp. During camp, OL Walter Kahaiali'I (existing knee injury) and Fono Vakalahi (transfer) left the 105-man roster. Newcomers not originally projected for the 105 were Lone Peak HS products Micah and Jacob Hannemann (both DBs), and walk-on WR Taggart Krueger, all of whom joined camp.

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Question 19. Who will be the under-the-radar player who ends up in the two-deep?

DE Remington Peck could end up in the opening night depth chart, while Skye PoVey may be in the two-deep at boundary corner. On offense, Dylan Collie could be the second-string "Z," while Alex Kuresa may be listed as the no. 2 "H." RB David Foote has yet to be mentioned in this report, but he was so good during camp that he will definitely be in the two-deep.

Despite his nearly 10 yards-per-carry career rushing average, "Footie" is still an under-the-radar guy, but now that's he a scholarship back getting major reps, he won't stay unnoticed for long. In fact, Foote had one of the strongest camps of any BYU player, and I'm eager to see what he can do with some marquee minutes this season.

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Question 20. What will BYU do for its in-camp surprise activity?

Mendenhall said that he had been using some of his post-practice conditioning activities to achieve some of the same leisure-like results of previous "sluff-day" excursions. For some reason, the energy-sapping obstacle course work doesn't sound like as much fun as a float down the Provo River. But then came Saturday, and the return of the camp-ending "slip-and-slide." That's more like it.

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