Cougars hope Zayne Anderson's speed at linebacker pays off in front seven


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PROVO — How do you replace a superstar?

Zayne Anderson and the BYU football team will soon find out, beginning Sept. 1 at Arizona.

The challenge for Anderson, the newest flash linebacker for the Cougars, is to replace Fred Warner — the former All-American linebacker who was drafted in the third round of last April's NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

With Warner now in the NFL, coaches have turned to the safety-turned-backer to use his speed and coverage as an outside linebacker. It’s a matter of trying to get the most speed on the field, coaches contend — which has Anderson excited to tackle a new position.

But Anderson doesn’t see himself as replacing a standout like Warner. In fact, quite the opposite.

"Fred's a baller," Anderson said. "Me and Fred are different players, but he’s an awesome role model to follow. Going back and watching how he played is great. He’s a really sound player, and that’s something I am trying to do — just be a sound player.

"We play in different ways, but I think I can focus on that."

Of course, to fill in on the position left vacant by an NFL player, Anderson had to do a few things.

For starters, he had to gain weight. Coaches were most impressed by the way he put on muscle mass, building his spritely 195-pound frame up to 210 pounds nearly two weeks before fall camp had started.

BYU defensive back Zayne Anderson celebrates recovering a fumble from San Jose State during NCAA football in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. (Photo: Ravell Call, Deseret News)
BYU defensive back Zayne Anderson celebrates recovering a fumble from San Jose State during NCAA football in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. (Photo: Ravell Call, Deseret News)

"He's totally bought in," defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki said. "If he can get to 225 and hold it, but keep his speed, I think he’ll be a really good player for us."

The 6-foot-2 Stansbury Park alum has always been known for that speed. A second-team all-state selection as a senior in high school, Anderson played in just seven football games due to injury.

But he led the Stallions with four first-place finishes at the state track meet, topping the podium in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter sprint, 1,600-meter relay and medley relay.

And that’s what he hopes to bring to BYU’s linebacker corps, more than anything.

"I play with my speed. I think I’m kind of a ball hawk," said Anderson, who had 75 tackles and two interceptions in three seasons at safety. "I like where the ball goes, but I can be a physical player. I’m lightweight, but I’ll come up into the hole and fill in strong.

"My teammates really help me look better, and I trust those guys."

While Warner played his Cougar career from freshman year to the last snaps as a senior in Hawaii at linebacker — even vacillating between multiple spots in Bronco Mendenhall’s 3-4 formation to current defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki’s 4-3 — Anderson has spent the majority of his past two seasons in the defensive backfield.

The switch is a positive one in the BYU locker room. Coaches have repeatedly pointed to Anderson’s transition to linebacker when complimenting fall camp performances, and teammates are glad to have his speed and athleticism in the front seven on defense.

"The linebackers either make us look good, or we make them look good," defensive end Corbin Kaufusi said. "We need that synergy between us, and I love them back there."

Coaches have been able to point to Anderson’s embracing of a new role on the team when convincing others to play — or at least try out — in a new position.

And more changes will come, Tuiaki admitted.

"We've talked about that," the third-year defensive coordinator said. "Early on, the depth chart is one we roll through and change through the first two weeks of fall camp."

There have been some challenges as well for Anderson; it hasn't all been smooth sailing. From lining up in the right spot to knowing when to drop into coverage and when to defend the run, Anderson has had to learn a few things.

Yet he takes it all in stride.

"I think I'm picking it up," Anderson said. "Every day, I'm learning more. But I feel pretty comfortable right now.

"There are things that I don’t know about, but I’m picking up more every day — and that just comes with film. I’m watching film every day — on last year, on Arizona, on camp, and on anything I can improve on."

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