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The return of a hoopster to the gridiron and the naming of a new coach were items coming out of BYU's fourth practice of spring ball on Monday--the first day with the team outdoors.
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Defensive end Bronson Kaufusi made his first appearance of the spring after missing last week while he remained with his BYU basketball teammates. With the hoopsters on semi-hiatus awaiting their postseason destination, Kaufusi was back on the field and taking his regular spot at the end of the line.
Kaufusi says he'll be back with the basketball team once practice and preparation plans are finalized in coming days.
"As soon as basketball starts up, I'll go right back, whenever that is. I knew the (basketball) season is not over, so I was able to come in today and get my feet wet a little bit."
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Offensive Coordinator Robert Anae said that graduate assistant Andrew George is now a position coach, with responsibility over the tight ends and wide receivers--a position occupied by Anae during his first go-round as BYU's OC. Anae says he will work with coach Garett Tujague and offensive line in his second stint on the sidelines.
"Andrew George is our guy," said Anae on Monday. "I feel very confident that Andrew knows what we're looking for in a tight end, in a 'Y' (receiver) and at inside receiver."
"I guess it was a suprise," said George of the offer. "I wasn't sure what they were going to do. I knew GAs could coach positions, but (it's) a huge opportunity."
George noted that former offensive grad assistant Kelly Bills was in line for the job before deciding to take the offensive coordinator post at Willamette University.
Of his new role, George said "I think it's awesome that they've allowed me to do this. I'm really excited. I think it's great for Coach Anae; it frees him up to go to each position room...to make any adjustments that he feels he has to make. He doesn't have a position hanging over his head that he has to coach."
About the tight end responsibilities in Anae's new offense, George said fans will likely see fewer 'hand-on-the-ground' sets than they may have seen recently.
"We're going to do probably more 'flex' (away from the tackles) stuff than we've done the last couple of years," said George on Monday.
Asked about the kind of player that will fit best in that role, George said "we need a guy who can run, who can get open, who's got a little bit of speed to him."
"If that guy happens to be a 230, 240...250-pound guy, whatever it is, then that's the guy. We've had guys like that in the past, with Dennis (Pitta), or with Jonny Harline, so we've had guys to fill that spot who were bigger. But it doesn't necessarily have to be a 'tight-end body' guy. We're just looking for the best player, who can play physical, get open, and do all the things that we ask him to do."
George said playing under Anae and coaching alongside Anae are "two separate worlds," but that spending five seasons under Anae's tutelage has prepared him well for his new role.
"I think I can help our tight ends understand what he is looking for," George said after practice. "I think understanding his expectations is important, and it can be hard to recognize sometimes as a young player, so hopefully I can help some of our guys do that."
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You can hear interviews with Anae, George, Kaufusi, running back Michael Allisa, linebacker Kyle Van Noy and kicker Justin Sorensen, in "Cougar Cuts," above left.
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BYU's modified spring practice media availability rules allow only a short observation period at the end of practice, and Monday was a day on which head coach Bronco Mendenhall was not scheduled to be available to the media.
I saw only a handful of reps at the tail end of the Monday session, with Taysom Hill taking the first-team snaps at quarterback; Jamaal Williams, Alisa and Iona Pritchard were among the "ones" getting reps in the backfield The first-string offensive line consisted of Brad Wilcox, Solomone Kafu, Terrence Aletto, Kyle Johnson and Michael Yeck, from left to right.
Of Hill, Anae said "he's running with the first team; we haven't named a starter yet, but he's running a lot of reps with the first team, and doing as real good job with it. I'm real pleased."
Talking about the backs, Anae said that "right now, running with the first team, we've got three (RBs); Adam Hine is in that group as well (with Williams and Alisa). I think that's a plus in terms of personnel. We're looking forward to trying (a lot of) offense with those guys on the field."
About day four of practices, Anae said "for the most part, we were all headed in the right direction, more than other days. Asked about problematic center-QB exchanges, Anae called them an emphasis, and noted that "we were better today than we had been last week. The week's off to a good start."
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Anae was asked about OL Houston Reynolds, and indicated that Reynolds' Achilles tendon injury could be a career-ender. BYU officials, however, clarified after talking with the training staff and informed the media that while Reynolds is definitely out for spring ball, his status for summer and long-term has yet to be determined.
Anae's son Famika suffered apparent career-ending injuries during the 2012 season, but is back on the field, working with the offensive line as a student assistant. "He keeps them busy, and engaged and involved," said Anae of Famika's work with his former linemates. "He's very much involved in the team, and helping the team in any way he can."
A student assistant on last year's team, former BYU QB Max Hall is not with the program this spring. Anae said Hall is not in school, and "last I heard, he had plans to go up to Canada and give professional football one more try, so we wish him well."
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Kicker Justin Sorensen is in need of getting well, after an injury-addled and frustrating 2012 campaign in which the place-kicking game was a notable weak point on the team. Sorensen said Monday that physically, he's "probably around 85-90%, which might sound low, but that's so much higher than it has been; it feels awesome."
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Linebacker Kyle Van Noy, on the 2013 defense building off of 2012's successes:
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After a day off on Tuesday, BYU will be back on the practice field Wednesday, when head coach Bronco Mendenhall will be available to the media. A off day on Thursday will be followed by a Friday practice which will be closed to the media.
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