Cougar secondary finding ways to make their own depth

PROVO — BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall had some questions over his defensive backs coming into fall camp.

But in the second week of practices, he admitted he was a little surprised with how far the group has come in such a short amount of time.

The progress has given him and defensive secondary coach Nick Howell a few days to see how each member of the secondary fares in other positions. Micah Hanneman, the cornerback who returned to practice Monday following a medical scare, was cross-training Tuesday at free safety, and regular safety Kai Nacua spent most of the observable practice at boundary corner.

"If we have Micah and Kai that know multiple positions, that doubles our depth," Mendenhall said. "It's a great chance to train both at both positions."

The 6-foot-2 Nacua, a former high school quarterback from Las Vegas, was happy to jump in and learn a new system. In part because of injuries and small nicks, the junior who recorded 40 tackles and two interceptions a year ago is happy to find a way for the Cougars to establish depth in a light secondary.

"We're short on corners right now because some guys are getting hurt. That's fall camp; it was a change, but it was fun," Nacua said. "Micah's at free right now, but he's also going to play corner, too. It's actually good because all the secondary knows the defense, so it's nothing different for each of us to play a slightly different spot."

Nacua knows part of his role is to help the younger defensive players come along in learning a Mendenhall defense that can seem daunting and complex when they first step foot on campus. But that's part of being an upperclassman and now a leader.

"I was once in their shoes," Nacua said. 'I know they are too scared to ask right now, so I go up and tell them what they need to do in a calmer tone. It's just to help calm them down and to help them relax."

It's not a perfect system for Nacua, a second-year starter. But it's a good, new experience for the defensive vet.

"I'm still learning a lot, too, so I can't answer all the questions," he said.

Still, the junior all-around defensive back is among the top players in BYU's secondary, according to his head coach.

"Eric Takenaka, Kai Nacua, Grant Jones, followed pretty closely by Matt Hadley," Mendenhall recited when asked to rate his safeties from memory, "if I were to name them today."

Hanneman's return, and now to a cross-trained position, also helps shore up the defense. The 6-foot sophomore from Lone Peak missed the first week of practices with a health scare, but positive tests and evaluations from the Huntsman Institute in Salt Lake City gave the BYU coaches a reason to move forward with his football career.

"Their evaluation was really clean, and it put everybody else at ease. They gave him a clean bill of health, and everything is good," Mendenhall said. "I don't know exactly what it was, other than there was a doctor that was super credible there and it put to rest everything."

Whether it will show on the field in the fall, Nacua said this year's defensive backfield has already jelled more as a team than he remembers of last season — and that can only be a good thing.

"I know myself and a couple other guys just feel more connected," Nacua said. "Everyone is wanting to be together all the time, and just do stuff together."

That includes non-football activities, like when former Timpview defensive back Chris Badger was the only player in a 50-launch sequence to nail Mendenhall and strength coach Frank Wintrich during a water balloon launch following practice.

Once Badger's balloon fell on Mendenhall, Nacua was among a group that also included backup quarterback Tanner Mangum mobbing Badger for his solid hit — a strong celebration for a 2 percent hitting percentage with two launchers and 10 position groups.

"Chris Badger got him," Nacua said with a smile. "He's got some aim."

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