Mangum, Collie, Cougars reunite one last time for BYU pro day ride

PROVO — For Tanner Mangum, it was just like old times — in multiple respects.

After spending the past three months at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California, the former BYU quarterback returned to Utah to take part in BYU’s annual pro day Friday in front of scouts from all 32 NFL franchises.

After showing off his 4.82 40-yard speed and a 28-inch vertical jump, the 6-foot-2 quarterback from Eagle, Idaho, set out to throw a little. He looked over his right shoulder and hit classmate Dylan Collie in stride for a long strike.

Running backs Squally Canada, Matt Hadley and Brayden El-Bakri lined up behind him, simulating catches out of the back field for those same scouts.

And to his left, to make things even more comfortable, was his older brother Madison Mangum, who wrapped up his final standout season at Idaho State in 2015.

But who better to catch a few passes than your older brother, one of the guys who got you into football, with a 6-foot, 2-inch frame capable of making one-handed grabs that land on SportsCenter’s Top 10?

“We didn’t want to kill Dylan too much. Since he was our only senior receiver, I had to get a couple of guys to sub in and help,” Tanner Mangum explained. “Dylan did a great job, ran some great routes.

“It was great to throw with those guys one more time on this field. We’re chasing the dream, and it’s fun to do it together.”

BYU had a smaller group participating in this year’s pro day, with just 10 eligible seniors and now former players taking part in a day that was once fueled by fanfare but stayed understandably muted following last seasons’ 7-6 campaign.

There was linebacker Sione Takitaki, 6-foot-1 native of Fontana, California, who will be BYU’s most draftable prospect come April. The 238-pound linebacker who started his career at defensive end wrapped up a four-year, 43-game defensive career with 237 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks.

Takitaki didn’t perform any measurables Friday. He was the only BYU player to receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and he posted a 4.63 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical and 24 reps on the bench press that pushed his draft stock into the “better-than-average” range, according to most draft analysts.

So Takitaki spent the day running drills as a linebacker and three-down defensive lineman in front of scouts while his teammates were poked, prodded and tested in the annual event many refer to as the “Underwear Olympics.”

It was more than teammate Corbin Kaufusi, who is still rehabbing from three offseason surgeries that cut short his senior season before the Cougars’ win over Western Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Kaufusi, the 6-foot-9, 278-pound defensive end who prepped at nearby Timpview High, watched from the sidelines of the Cougars’ indoor practice facility, unable to participate but trying to lend an encouraging voice.

He’s mostly recovered from ankle syndesmosis, a procedure typically used to repair high ankle sprains that helps heal soft tissue damage between the tibia and fibula, as well as surgeries to repair a torn triceps tendon and his pinkie finger.

But up until Thursday night, Kaufusi really thought he would test himself for the scouts. Instead, he’ll run combine drills for a handful of NFL teams that have already contacted him for a private workout and invite the others to his own facility at a later date.

“It’s definitely a balance,” Kaufusi said. “I’m way ahead of schedule when it comes to rehab. But it’s still rehab.

“When I got cleared to run, I thought I was going to run like crazy and be as fast as I was before. I got out there and realized I hadn’t used the leg in four months. That was one thing that helped me make my decision.”

That left Friday for Mangum, Takitaki and Collie, as well as a handful of other recent BYU seniors looking for a chance in the NFL. Former bone-crushing fullback Brayden El-Bakri pounded out 24 reps on the bench press, Matt Hadley ran a 4.70 40 after shredding his own ankle in the last year’s regular-season finale against Utah, and defensive back Michael Shelton had a 36.5-inch vertical that could catch some people’s attention.

Kicker Andrew Mikkelsen and punter Rhett Almond also did special teams drills for the scouts.

El-Bakri is still remembered in most circles for the big hit he put on a poor San Jose State kick returner two years ago during the Cougars’ 4-9 season, and he says he’s been approached to play multiple positions — running back, fullback, special teams, or even quarterback, he joked (or at least, we think he joked).

“I’ll take whatever. If they want me to play anything, I’ll do exactly what they need,” El-Bakri said. “If they want 40 more pounds, I’ll put on 40 more pounds. If they want 20 less pounds, I’ll take it off.

“I just want to play football some more.”

But even for those who didn’t fare as well as they’d hoped — Collie said his 40 time was “about two tenths slower” than he would’ve liked, for example — the day was memorable.

And there is plenty of football tape out there to pitch to NFL teams.

“I’ve played in a lot of football games, and I’ve done fairly well in them,” said Collie, the graduate transfer from Hawaii and younger brother of BYU all-time receiver Austin Collie who played with the Colts and the Patriots. “I had a chance to play in 50 games at the Division I level, and that’s a substantial amount on offense. So that speaks for itself, and it’s a good number to have on a resume — outside of a decent 40, decent jumps, and things like that.”

Friday was as much a day to look back as it is to look forward.

The future can wait.

For now, these guys are just playing football.

“This is fun. I’m in a unique position that not many people get to be in,” Mangum said. “I don’t want to look back when I’m old and regret stressing about it. I’m just playing ball and that’s pretty fun. I don’t have to worry about much else and that’s unique. I’m not taking that for granted, and making sure I am enjoying each and every day.”

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